Romania, one of the most affordable countries in Europe, is being hailed as the next top destination for walkers.
Following its recent inclusion in the Schengen area, interest in this eastern European gem has surged. With its warm summer weather, lush countryside and affordability compared to neighbouring countries, Romania has a lot to offer.
This week, a specific region of the country was featured on Intrepid Travel’s Not Hot List, which showcases ten under-the-radar global destinations.
Romania’s entry this year is Via Transilvanica, often referred to as the ‘Camino of the East’. This 1,400 km long-distance walking trail is helping to establish Romania as Europe’s upcoming premier walking destination.
The trail, initiated by Intrepid Foundation partner Tășuleasa Social Association and known as ‘the road that unites’, is purposefully designed to connect travellers with lesser-known communities and distribute the economic benefits of tourism more evenly, reports the Mirror.
The route takes explorers through quaint villages, ancient forests, and 12 UNESCO World Heritage sites. As visitor numbers are on the rise, now is the ideal time for Romania to consider its approach to sustainable tourism.
Romania attracted 7.1 million overnight international visitors in 2024.
The introduction of 170 km of fresh pathways opening in 2026 represents the initial stage of an ambitious 20-year development scheme to extend the Via Transilvanica trail beyond its current boundaries, expanding its coverage throughout Romania.
Enhanced journey times, courtesy of Romania’s 2025 Schengen entry that eliminated border controls with neighbouring European nations, plus fresh flight connections from Birmingham to Sibiu have ushered in a transformative travel era for the area.
Anna Székely, vice-president of the Tășuleasa Social Association, explained: “This slow-travel route isn’t just scenic, it’s built to revive depopulated villages, support local enterprise and give visitors a rare chance to experience traditions that feel untouched by time.
“For us, hospitality means creating genuine meeting points between hikers and locals – places where shared meals, old stories and the rhythm of rural life are as much a part of the journey as the miles walked.”
Intrepid’s fresh 11-day Hiking in Romania via Transilvanica Trail adventure offers travellers early access to some of the recently incorporated sections of the route. They explain: “Hike to spiritual sites such as the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Sucevita and Moldovita monasteries and explore Bran Castle, linked to the Dracula legend. Enjoy the occasional homemade dinner and local wine with residents living in small villages along the trail and learn about each community’s culture.”
One of the most high-octane and over-the-top action movies of the 2010s is currently dominating on Hulu. Ian Fleming’s James Bond franchise might be going through a major facelift, but that hasn’t stopped it from influencing countless spy franchises. Matthew Vaughn released his interpretation of 007 in 2014, inspired by Mark Millar’s comic book series, The Secret Service. Daniel Craig’s James Bond might not go in for exploding pens and over-the-top gadgets, but Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service has all of that in spades, alongside one of the best one-shot fight scenes in modern cinema.
Kingsman: The Secret Service is currently streaming on Hulu, and subscribers are obsessed with the hit action movie. Kingsman is currently the eighth most popular film on the platform. Matthew Vaughn’s action-packed blockbuster introduced mainstream audiences to Taron Egerton as Eggsy, who is recruited into the super-secret spy organization, known as Kingsman, by Harry Hart (Colin Firth). Together, they must fight back against Richmond Valentine’s (Samuel L Jackson) plan to cull most of the population to save the planet.
Kingsman: The Secret Service was an instant hit when it opened in theaters in 2014. The film was well received by critics, holding a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences enjoyed the action-filled spy adventure even more, bestowing it with an 84% rating. Recent reviews from users of the site have labeled Kingsman as “relentless,” “explosive,” and having “all the classic spy movie elements and AMAZING visual fight scenes.” The film was also a strong box office hit, grossing over $415 million worldwide.
Will There Be Another ‘Kingsman’ Movie?
Kingsman: The Secret Service 20th Century Studios
Kingsman‘s success at the box office enticed 20th Century Fox to take a risk on a sequel. Matthew Vaughn returned three years later for Kingsman: The Golden Circle. The film featured an even bigger cast, which included Julianne Moore, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, and Elton John (for some reason). However, the film suffered a lot of the typical sequel problems, including forgetting what fans loved about the first movie, and leaning too heavily into the wackier aspects of the franchise. The Golden Circle holds a very divisive RT score of 51%, with a slightly stronger audience rating of 64%. However, it still managed to pull strong box office numbers, grossing $410 million. This, again, enticed 20th Century Fox to greenlight another entry in the franchise, although the next one wasn’t a sequel.
In 2021, audiences were taken back in time to the founding of the Kingsman program, with the aptly titled The King’s Man. Despite having an all-star cast, including Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Harris Dickinson, Gemma Arterton, Matthew Goode, Daniel Brühl, and Rhys Ifans, the film flopped with critics. The King’s Man holds a measly 41% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Most surprisingly, given how action-packed the franchise was up to that point, The King’s Man‘s biggest problem is that most of its runtime was frustratingly boring. Grossing just $125 million worldwide, the prequel killed any chances of another entry in the franchise. At the time of writing, there appears to be no interest in a fourth Kingsman movie.
Netflix just released the first teaser trailer for its upcoming thriller series, The Beast in Me. The series follows a writer, Aggie Wiggs (Claire Danes), grieving the death of her son while uncovering the truth about her dangerous neighbor, Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys). The show will also reunite Danes and Howard Gordon five years after the all-time great TV dramaHomeland ended.
The Beast in Me is an eight-episode limited Netflix series. The protagonist, Aggie, is an author who is filled with guilt after her son dies. She has become a shell of the person she was and is no longer able to write due to the grief that comes with losing a child. However, her drive comes back when Nile, a mogul who was a prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance, moves in next door.
According to The Beast in Me’s creator, Gordon, it’s a nuanced story where the characters question their own judgments and force themselves to see things from another perspective. He also explained the inspiration behind the series title in a statement to Netflix. Check out his statement and the trailer below:
The title of the series comes from a Johnny Cash song — but it’s not as simple as it might initially seem. It really is about all of our complicity. Whether it’s Monica Lewinsky or Amanda Knox or Nile Jarvis or whatever, sometimes we are quick to make assumptions. But when we are forced to look at it from another angle, do we have the humility and the compassion to listen and to revise the narrative?
What The Trailer Means For The Beast In Me
David Lyons in The Beast in Me
The Beast in Me’s teaser revealed what appeared to be several snippets of intense scenes from the limited series. From anxiety-inducing stares and tragic breakdowns to police sirens and brutal attacks, the trailer promises to take viewers on a powerful journey with many twists and turns.
Similar to Claire Danes’ other great movies and shows, she deliveres a strong performance in the trailer. Her conflicted feelings about Rhys’ character and the heartbreaking moments of survivor’s guilt are incredibly convincing. The range of emotions she conveys in such a short period of time gives viewers a very clear idea of the tone of the upcoming series.
Our Take On The Beast In Me Trailer
Claire Danes in The Beast in Me
The Beast in Me’s new teaser showcases a group of compelling characters portrayed by a talented cast. The tension between Danes and Rhys is depicted perfectly. The trailer reveals Aggie’s dangerous infatuation with Nile, as well as her fear of him. Based on the sneak peek alone, we can already tell that their relationship will go down a catastrophic path.
The intense sequences show audiences that a whirlwind of emotions is about to come their way. The teaser’s action-packed clips imply that there won’t be a single dull moment in the miniseries. While there still isn’t too much information out there about TheBeast in Me at the moment, the trailer does take us one step closer to the full story and what’s to come.
The Beast in Me will premiere on Netflix on November 13, 2025.
Charli xcx and The 1975 drummer George Daniel are married, again. The couple who first tied the knot in a private ceremony in London at Hackney Town Hall on July 19 reportedly said “I do” again over the weekend in the small village of Scopello in Sicily, Italy.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
According to People magazine, Daniel’s bandmates, singer Matty Healy, bassist Ross MacDonald and guitarist Adam Hann were in attendance for the second blessed event, along with members of the 1975’s touring band and Healy’s mother, Denise Welch and father, Tim Healy.
Charli ramped up speculation about the couple’s plans a few days earlier in an Instagram post from Sicily in which she was seen sitting in Daniel’s lap and enjoying a night out in the city with friends. Vogue reported that Charli wore a sheer, bias-cut ivory silk chiffon slip gown dress by Danielle Fankel with spaghetti straps and a long train, with transparent chiffon fabric overlays over a contouring bustier. The magazine also noted that the gown had hand-embroidered organza micro petals and “dripping baroque pearls” trickling down the train.
The Brat bride’s bouquet was made up of eucalyptus, baby blue and gypsophila, with the groom wearing a griege suit without a tie, cream shirt and black Oxford shoes. Among the friends reportedly in attendance were Charli’s tour mate Troye Sivan, as well as Amelia Dimoldenberg, Devon Lee Carlson, Shygirl and Gabbriette.
During their first wedding in London in front of a reported 20 or so close family members and friends, Daniel’s1975 bandmates, minus Healy, were also in attendance. The couple began dating in 2022 and announced their engagement a year later.
At press time a spokesperson for Charli xcx had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on the details of the wedding.
There’s a new cat-and-mouse game coming to Netflix this fall.
Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys star in The Beast in Me, about an author and the subject of her next book. On Monday, September 15, the streaming service released the first teaser, to go alongside the previously shared premiere date and first photos, offering a glimpse at their characters and more.
Read on for everything we know about The Beast in Me, from the cast to the premiere date and more.
When will The Beast in Me premiere?
All eight episodes of The Beast in Me will begin streaming on Netflix on Thursday, November 13.
What is The Beast in Me About?
Since the tragic death of her young son, acclaimed author Aggie Wiggs (Danes) has receded from public life, unable to write, a ghost of her former self. But she finds an unlikely subject for a new book when the house next door is bought by Nile Jarvis (Rhys), a famed and formidable real estate mogul who was once the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance. At once horrified and fascinated by this man, Aggie finds herself compulsively hunting for the truth — chasing his demons while fleeing her own — in a game of cat and mouse that might turn deadly.
“The title of the series comes from a Johnny Cash song — but it’s not as simple as it might initially seem. It really is about all of our complicity. Whether it’s Monica Lewinsky or Amanda Knox or Nile Jarvis or whatever, sometimes we are quick to make assumptions. But when we are forced to look at it from another angle, do we have the humility and the compassion to listen and to revise the narrative?” said showrunner, writer, and executive producer Howard Gordon in a statement to Tudum.
Howard Gordon serves as showrunner, writer, and executive producer. Gabe Rotter, who created the series, is also a writer and executive producer. Danes also executive produces. Antonio Campos is executive producer and director. Also executive producing are Daniel Pearle; Conan O’Brien, Jeff Ross, and David Kissinger for Conaco; Caroline Baron (Severance); and Jodie Foster. The series is produced by 20th Television.
Is there a Beast in Me trailer?
There’s a teaser, which you can watch above.
“We are, all of us, drawn to monsters,” Aggie says in the voiceover. “We flirt with death to prove we‘re truly alive. And if we can’t stop, then that small fire we lit might just burn the whole house down — with us still inside.”
The video shows the cat and mouse game between Aggie and Nile, including both his charming and violent sides — and him watching her through a window?!
Plus, scroll down for the first-look photos of Danes, Rhys, Snow, Morales, and Lyons in character.
The Beast in Me, Series Premiere, Thursday, November 13, Netflix
Depending on whom you talk to, the proposed new defensible space rules for “zone zero” will help save homes in very high fire hazard severity zones, or decimate much of Southern California’s urban tree canopy without really deterring the types of wildland fires that destroyed much of Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Malibu earlier this year.
Either way, the state Board of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Zone 0 Advisory Committee will likely get an earful of comments during its public meeting Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Pasadena Convention Center. The committee will be presenting its proposed rules for creating “fire defensible spaces” or “ember-resistant zones” within five feet of buildings in very high fire hazard severity zones protected by city and county firefighters as well as all areas protected by state firefighters. These five-foot-wide buffers are now widely known as “zone zero.”
The Board of Forestry and Fire Protection was initially tasked with creating specific zone zero regulations in 2020, after the Legislature passed Assembly Bill 3074, said Yana Valachovic, a technical adviser to the board who wears many hats as the county director and forest advisor for both the UC Cooperative Extension in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, as well as for the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network.
But on Feb. 6, in the wake of the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires, Gov. Gavin Newsom gave the board until Dec. 31 to finalize the regulations.
“No landscaping materials that are likely to be ignited by embers are permitted within zone zero.” (That is, within five feet of a structure). “This includes, but is not limited to grass, ornamental or native plants, shrubs, fallen leaves and tree needles, weeds, and combustible mulches including bark and wood chips.”
Trees within zone zero can be maintained, according to the proposed rules, as long as dead or dying branches are removed and all live tree branches are five feet above the roof and away from sides of the structure, and 10 feet away from any chimneys or stovepipes.
Two exemptions are listed. The first allows potted plants under 18 inches in height in noncombustible containers no larger than five gallons, and “not directly situated beneath, above or in front of a window, glass door, or vent.”
The second exemption is less clear: “Single specimens of trees that are well-pruned and maintained so as to effectively manage fuels and fuel ladders.” The committee is still working to define this exemption more specifically, Tony Andersen, the board’s executive officer, said. For instance, he said, the committee could clarify the exemption to read that well-pruned trees (i.e. trees whose branches are five feet away from roofs or walls) are permitted as long as they don’t have overlapping canopies that act as fuel ladders, permitting the fire to spread.
Roofs and rain gutters must be kept clear of needles and leaves and “the areas under decks, balconies and stairs must be kept free of vegetative material and combustible items.”
Other proposed zone zero rules would forbid “combustible items that are likely to be ignited by embers,” including outbuildings not meant for habitation. Combustible gates cannot be directly adjacent to or attached to a building or structure. Fences that are directly attached to a building or structure must have a five-foot noncombustible span at the point of attachment, and after the rules go into effect, no new combustible fences or attached decks will be permitted within five feet of a building or structure.
The requirements for zone zero will go into effect immediately after approval for all new construction and within three years for existing buildings.
In areas protected by city, county and state firefighters, jurisdictions may “choose to develop alternative practices for zone zero compliance that take into account local variations” as long as an authority in the local jurisdiction finds that the alternative practice “provides for substantially similar practical effects as those stated in the regulations.” Andersen said he doesn’t know if the committee will further clarify the “substantially similar” language, “but the full draft rule plead continues to be considered and discussed.”
Proponents argue that the proposed regulations are needed to keep communities safe, given the recent increases in wildfires in Southern California.
“As a society, we’ve thought of fire and fuel issues as somebody else’s problem, and we’ve been entirely dependent on firefighters to save our homes,” Valachovic said. “But is business as usual protecting us?
“We’ve lost 57,000 structures [to fire] in this state in the last decade. Two hundred people have died in wildfires and one out of every seven acres in the state have burned in the last decade,” she said. “It takes time for people to understand the new environment we’re living in and change is hard, but what these zone-zero regs do is give people a chance to better understand what’s constituted as fuels that might pose a risk to their home and family, and these are things that are within a homeowner’s control.”
The rulemaking has gone through many revisions and stalls, Valachovic said, as the board and then the committee sifted through hours of testimony, dozens of studies and hundreds of comments.
Opponents say the rules are being pushed by insurance companies trying to limit their exposure and don’t take into account research that indicates urban fires are spread more from house to house than plants to house, and many irrigated trees and other plants can actually protect structures from fire. Indeed, Valachovic notes that lobbyists and researchers for insurance companies have been frequent contributors to the testimony about the proposal, arguing strongly in favor of removing all combustible materials near homes.
Furthermore, opponents say, neighborhoods in very high fire hazard severity zones such as Silver Lake, Beachwood Canyon and Eagle Rock could see a huge loss of greenery since their homes are often built close together on small lots, with trees and other landscaping well within five feet of buildings and structures.
Zone zero aims to protect homes but threatens urban shade
Very high fire hazard severity zones protected by city and county firefighters as well as all areas protected by state firefighters are shaded in red.
California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection
Hailey Wang LOS ANGELES TIMES
“They’re talking about destroying our urban canopy, hundreds of acres of trees for uncertain benefits,” said Cyndi Hubach, a member of the City of Los Angeles’ Community Forest Advisory Committee. Hubach, who lives in Silver Lake, wrote CFAC’s report for the council outlining the problems with the proposed regulations, and what the organization believes should change.
Basically, the report (approved by CFAC on Sept. 4) argues that cutting down irrigated, healthy vegetation around homes will cause more problems than it solves by eliminating shade, increasing the risk of erosion and destroying habitat, among other things. The report recommends that the regulations move away from a “one-size-fits-all approach,” allow for an appeals process and exempt “healthy, hydrated and well maintained vegetation … not likely to be ignited by embers,” as well as protected native trees and shrubs, historic and heritage trees and living municipal street trees if well-pruned and maintained.
The state has done a poor job of getting the word out about these regulations, Hubach said. “Most people don’t know this is coming their way, and when they find out about [the proposed rules], they don’t think it will make them safer. They think it will make their neighborhoods hotter, dryer, uglier and less safe.”
As word has spread this summer about the proposed regulations, opposition has swelled around Southern California. In a recent online talk, Travis Longcore, an environmental scientist and former president of the Los Angeles Audubon Society, laid out a detailed online analysis of the proposed regulations.
In his talk, Longcore agrees with Valachovic that certain parts of the proposed regulations make sense, such as removing wood fences connected to buildings and pine needles and dead leaves from roofs. “But we should continue to request that healthy live vegetation be permissible if it’s not likely to be ignited by embers, so it’s not lumped in with plants that accumulate dead wood like junipers and cypress trees that always have accumulated dead matter in them.”
Longcore also said it’s unclear how the proposed regulations will be enforced and what kinds of penalties will be applied to people who don’t comply.
Former State Fire Marshal Ruben Grijalva has similar concerns about enforcement, given that inspectors are already overtaxed. Grijalva objects to what he calls the “one-size-fits-all approach” of the proposed regulations because they don’t recognize differences between houses constructed before 2008 and those built after. Newer houses must comply with changes he helped implement in Chapter 7A of the California Building Code, including requiring ignition-resistant materials for roofs and decks, dual-pane glass for windows and vents that keep embers out.
Grijalva currently works with large developers to make master plan communities with thousands of dwellings — such as Rancho Mission Viejo in the hills above San Juan Capistrano — as fire-resistant as possible, while also including the aesthetic and cooling benefits of trees such as oaks and sycamores.
Members of the state Board of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Zone 0 Advisory Committee will also be speaking at an informational town hall meeting Sept. 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ventura County Fire Headquarters in Newbury Park. Visitors are requested to RSVP with the organizer of the event, Ventura County Supervisor Jeff Gorell.
The following day, Sept. 18, anyone can listen in to the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection’s public meeting, but public comments may be limited to people appearing in person because of the sheer number expected to speak, said Marcie Yates, the board’s land-use planning program manager.
This is the committee’s first public meeting in Southern California and could be its last, since, according to Andersen, it plans to discuss the comments it receives Sept. 18 at its regular meeting in Sacramento on Sept. 22, and then decide whether to further tweak the proposed rules or forward them to the full board for consideration.
Far-left Rep. Ilhan Omar has insisted that her home country of Somalia were not as bad America is under President Trump.
The Minnesota Congresswoman made the comments during an appearance this weekend on the YouTube channel Democracy Now!, where she complained about the Trump administration’s policy of mass deportations and restoring law and order to cities like Washington D.C. and Chicago.
She explained:
Armed men who are in plainclothes that are snatching people off the streets, unwilling to identify themselves. You have the military being deployed in our streets. My God, this is America. You have states’ rights being disregarded. You know, the constitutional crisis that’s being created in front of our eyes.
And the same week where we have a president who has deployed the military, who are trained to kill our enemies, not Americans, but our enemies, are in our streets. It’s the same week that we are going to have a military parade. Can you imagine that image that is going to be coming out of our country?
I mean, I grew up in a dictatorship. And I don’t even remember ever witnessing anything like that. To have a democracy, a beacon of hope for the world, to now be turned into one of the worst countries where the military are in our streets without any regard for people’s constitutional rights.
While our president is spending millions of dollars prompting himself up like a failed dictator with a military parade. It is really shocking and it should be a wake-up call for all Americans to say this is not the country we were born in, this is not the country we believe in, this is not the country our founding fathers imagined, and this is not the country that is supported by our constitution, our ideals, our values.
We should all collectively be out in the streets rejecting what is taking place this week.
When Omar and her family arrived in the U.S. in 1995, Somalia was already a failed state.
The central government had been overthrown years earlier, leaving the country carved up by rival warlords and militias who terrorized civilians with violence, extortion, and checkpoints.
Law and order had completely disintegrated, and famine and disease had already killed hundreds of thousands.
That same year, the United Nations abandoned its failed peacekeeping mission, pulling out after years of bloodshed and humiliation.
Somalia was left a stateless wasteland where survival depended on clan loyalties and the barrel of a gun.
Radical Democrat Ilhan Omar and her privileged family fled Somalia in a plane after a gang of 20 armed men attacked their private compound.
The country’s situation has not improved much since. It is widely considered the most dangerous country on earth, with the U.S. State Department urging Americans not to travel there under any circumstances.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday Britain would not tolerate people feeling intimidated “because of their background or the colour of their skin” after a large far-right protest was marked by battles with police. In his first comments on Saturday’s rally organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson and attended by up to 150,000 people, according to police, Starmer also condemned attacks on police on officers. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, Eve Irvine welcomes Renaud Foucart, Economist and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Economics at Lancaster University Management School.
However, some owners have found themselves in heated debates over whether you should feed your dog once, twice or three times a day – with countless owners sharing their feeding routines across social media platforms.
On Reddit, one user said: “I read that feeding your dogs once a day is more beneficial but my dogs are used to eating twice a day, though they don’t eat their breakfast most of the time.”
In response, one user said: “Dogs who are fed once a day are more likely to bloat. Personally, my dogs throw up if their stomachs are empty, and feeding twice a day prevents this.”
Another user chimed in: “Twice a day for mine. Mine gets the hunger pukes if he doesn’t eat his breakfast, so one meal a day doesn’t work for him.”
A third user added: “Thrice. I have older dogs and many dogs develop acid reflux and other issues when older. The third time helps keep them from getting nauseous overnight and eating grass to vomit in the morning.”
Putting the debate to rest once and for all, experts at VAC Animal Hospitals recommend feeding your dog at least two meals per day – and trying to feed your dog at the same time every day.
A statement explains: “Feeding your dog does not have to be mysterious. By recognising a few key concepts and attributes of dogs we can create a very reasonable feeding plan for them.
“The most common recommendation is to feed your dog at least two meals per day and there are a few reasons for this.
“Dogs are creatures of habit. We can use this fact to our advantage by creating a regular feeding schedule and sticking to it.
“A regular feeding schedule helps with house training puppies, as well as adult rescue dogs who have not been taught household manners.”
By providing meals for your pet at consistent times each day, you’re establishing a “concrete event” and building routine into their daily life.
Moreover, you’ll be able to detect any problems they might be facing through their dietary behaviour.
The statement continues: “A disruption in eating patterns can serve as a warning sign of illness. When dogs consume food on a regular schedule, that habit becomes strong. It is easy to see if all the food from a meal is consumed.
“If food is left, whether all or part of a meal, that is an important signal that something is wrong, and it is time to schedule a veterinary appointment.”
Nevertheless, some dogs are less driven by food and would flourish equally well on a single meal per day – suggesting the guideline isn’t absolute.
“In an ideal world, at least two meals per day is best, based on the reasons described above,” the statement continues. “Some dogs are less food-motivated and do fine with one meal per day.
“Others may need more frequent meals, such as dogs that only eat small volumes of food at a time or dogs with medical conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), who are prone to reflux if their stomach is empty for too long.
“A third meal can be added as a ‘lunch’ or a bedtime snack, depending on the needs of the individual.”
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
There is no shortage of people who talk a really impressive game about how they’re rich, have the whole “day trading” thing dialed in, and are willing to teach you how easy it can be to follow in their footsteps to become the next great day trader.
I’m not one of them.
Yes, I day trade for a living, and I’ve done OK. But I’m first in line to tell you that day trading is not easy. It takes dedicated effort over time to start becoming solid at day trading. Then it takes even more time and work to turn it into a profession.
You have two main choices when it comes to learning day trading: You can learn by doing, or get a teacher. Teaching yourself — in other words, making all the mistakes yourself — is a really costly way to do it, in time, money, and stress. I recommend that you stand on someone else’s shoulders and at least avoid many of the mistakes they made.
Because this is not a sales pitch to stand on my shoulders, I will describe five things to look for in a day trading teacher. You can then apply those tests to whichever teachers you find.
How long ago did they begin to day trade? You don’t want someone who claims to have done great in the last few months or maybe a year, and now feels bulletproof. The strongest teachers will have traded and survived through great markets, but also sideways markets and downright terrible ones.
You also don’t want someone who claims to be “a natural” at day trading; in fact, you should hope they have lots of figurative scars, which often accompany lessons thoroughly learned.
2. They need to be currently in the game
Michael Phelps may have hung up his competitive swimsuit years ago, but he could be a great swimming coach for decades to come. Not too much changes in competitive swimming, other than younger people regularly breaking records.
Not so with day trading. The markets constantly change in terms of which stocks are listed, regulations being updated and technology continually improving.
Your teacher should be trading every week and preferably every day. Day trading is difficult enough; you shouldn’t make it even more difficult by working with someone who’s been a spectator for too long.
3. They must be able to explain and remember
We’ve all known some people who are great at what they do, but terrible at explaining it to others. Maybe they’re not very articulate, or they speak so fast you can’t follow them.
When I say “able to remember,” I mean that experts can easily forget what it was like to be a beginner. After making literally 25,000 trades in my career, I can glance at four monitors filled with hundreds of bits of data, and it all seems so clear to me. But I do remember the feeling of confusion and even despair while looking at just a fraction of this firehose for the first time.
Look for someone who’s clear, patient and willing to explain — sometimes again and again — until the topic makes sense to you. Day trading is all about near-instantaneous judgments, but your questioning and learning zone should be judgment-free.
If you have a heart condition and need surgery, do you want to go to a surgeon who’s worked on a few hearts, done some tennis elbows and is a fairly good plastic surgeon, too?
You want the person with deep experience. The kind who could write a 500-page book that’s an “Introduction to…” instead of the 50-page pamphlet that’s “The complete guide” to something. Although many day trading principles indeed apply to commodities, cryptocurrency and other investments, I have yet to meet someone who’s equally expert at all those types of investments. I certainly am not.
It may be true that you don’t yet know what specific investments you want to focus on. That’s cool; shop around! But at some point, when you decide the investment type you want to bear down on, look for a teacher who’s done the same thing.
5. Insist on a truth teller
Of course, you want a teacher to make it as easy as possible, but day trading is not easy. It’s not even easy for me at my stage, because every day I must earn any reward, and am quickly punished for forgetting key principles. Stay well away from anyone who gives you the impression that day trading can be picked up without much difficulty.
Also, it’s incredibly important that you find a teacher who shows you ALL of their trades — the fabulous ones, the okay ones, and the “what were you thinking” terrible trades. I can’t say much about day trading with absolute certainty, but I’m certain about this: Every trader on the planet continues to have green days and red days. Every trader loses occasionally.
The only difference is how much they’ve lost, and what they do about it. The smart, surviving traders check themselves into what I call “trader rehab.” This allows them to return to the basics, rebuild their confidence, and get back in the game. Anyone who’s not showing you these scars is not being straight with you, and they should not have your trust.
Social media is full of people who say they took up day trading and scored. More power to them; I do believe in beginner’s luck and once had it myself. You don’t need a teacher at all to have beginner’s luck. But if you want to continue in this profession — not if but when that beginner’s luck runs out — that truth-telling teacher will be the best trade you take.
There is no shortage of people who talk a really impressive game about how they’re rich, have the whole “day trading” thing dialed in, and are willing to teach you how easy it can be to follow in their footsteps to become the next great day trader.
I’m not one of them.
Yes, I day trade for a living, and I’ve done OK. But I’m first in line to tell you that day trading is not easy. It takes dedicated effort over time to start becoming solid at day trading. Then it takes even more time and work to turn it into a profession.
