E-mini S&P 500 futures (often just called ES futures) are contracts that let you trade the future value of the S&P 500 stock index. Each ES contract represents 50 times the S&P 500’s price – so if the index is at 4,000, one contract is worth about $200,000. Traders use ES futures to speculate on the market’s direction or hedge portfolios, and they’re extremely popular due to their liquidity and nearly around-the-clock trading.

When you buy a stock or an ETF like SPY, you’re owning shares; with a future, you’re entering a leveraged contract. Futures trade on margin – meaning you only put down a fraction of the contract’s value as a deposit. They also trade nearly 24/5, whereas stocks trade only during regular market hours. In short, futures give you broader access and leverage, but you have an obligation to the contract (or to close it) by expiration, unlike holding a stock indefinitely.

ES futures offer some advantages over an index fund (ETF). There are no management fees and you can react to market-moving news at any time since ES trades almost 24 hours a day (no waiting for the stock market to open). They’re also very liquid and easy to short (no uptick rules or borrowing stock). The flip side is that futures are leveraged, so you need to manage your risk carefully – but that same leverage means you can control a large exposure to the market with relatively little capital.

“E-mini” simply signifies a smaller version of a standard futures contract, designed to be traded electronically. The classic S&P 500 futures contract was large (valued at 250 × index) and traded in pits; the E-mini S&P is 1/5 the size of that original contract. When it was introduced in 1998 on the CME’s electronic Globex platform, it quickly became the most popular equity index future. In practice, E-mini means you’re dealing with the smaller, more accessible contract (and today it’s the primary way to trade the S&P 500 index future).

Micro E-mini S&P 500 futures are an even smaller contract – at 1/10th the size of the regular E-mini. Instead of a $50 × index value contract, the Micro is $5 × the index price. This means each tick on MES is worth $1.25 (since it still moves in 0.25-point ticks, but on a smaller contract) as opposed to $12.50 on the E-mini. Micros allow traders with small accounts to participate in the S&P 500 futures market with less risk per point move, making them great for learning or fine-tuning positions.

A tick is the minimum price increment a futures contract moves. For the E-mini S&P (ES), one tick is 0.25 index points. In dollars, that 0.25-point tick equals $12.50 per contract. There are 4 ticks in one full index point (1.00 point = $50 on ES). Understanding ticks is important because your profit and loss are calculated in these increments – e.g. if you buy and the market moves +2.00 points in your favor, that’s 8 ticks = $100 gain for one ES contract.

The ES futures market is almost a 24-hour market. It opens Sunday evening and trades continuously all week until Friday afternoon. Specifically, trading kicks off at 6:00 pm Eastern Time on Sunday and runs all the way to 5:00 pm ET on Friday, with a short break each day in the late afternoon for maintenance. (CME’s official hours are 5:00 pm to 4:00 pm Central Time, with a 15-minute pause around 4:15–4:30 pm CT.) This means you can trade overnight sessions – though keep in mind volume is highest during U.S. stock market hours and lower in the wee hours.

You don’t need to front the full value of the contract (which is over $100k); you just need the required margin. Initial margin for one ES contract is on the order of several thousand dollars – often around 5–10% of the contract’s notional value. For example, if an ES contract is worth ~$120,000, the exchange might require roughly $6,000 as initial margin (about 5%). Brokers also often have lower day-trading margins if you’re not holding overnight (sometimes a few thousand or less per contract). For Micro E-minis, the required margin is roughly one-tenth of the ES. Important: It’s wise to have more than the minimum margin in your account so you can withstand swings; starting with too little capital can lead to quick margin calls if trades go against you.

Margin is a good-faith deposit you put up to open a futures trade – typically just a fraction of the contract’s total value. It allows you to control a large contract with a relatively small amount of money. This is what creates leverage: a small price move in the index can mean a large percentage gain or loss on your margin. For instance, instead of paying $170,000 for an entire S&P contract, you might post only around $5k as margin. The upside is you can earn high returns on little capital; the downside is a few bad trades can damage your account if you’re not careful. Always remember that with leverage, a 1% move in the index can be a 10–20% (or more) change in your account if you’re fully margined – so manage your risk accordingly.

Yes – you’ll need a brokerage account that is futures-enabled. A futures account is different from a regular stock trading account (it falls under different regulations and clearing arrangements). Many brokers (like TD Ameritrade’s thinkorswim, TradeStation, Interactive Brokers, NinjaTrader, etc.) offer futures trading, but you typically have to apply for futures permissions if you’re converting a stock brokerage account. Once approved, you’ll use a trading platform (provided by the broker or a third-party platform that connects to your broker) to place orders on ES. The platform will need access to real-time futures data (CME data feed), which sometimes costs a small monthly fee unless you’re on a broker platform that includes it. In short: find a reputable broker, fund a futures account, and use their platform or another supported platform to trade.

Futures can be riskier if you don’t manage them properly, primarily due to the leverage involved. With stocks, if you invest $5,000, the most you can lose is $5,000 (assuming the stock goes to zero). With futures, that $5,000 could control a much larger position, so a quick market drop of a few percent could theoretically wipe out more than your initial funds. However, futures are only as risky as the trader’s habits – if you use prudent position sizes and stop losses, you can control risk similarly to stocks. In fact, trading a well-diversified index future like ES can be safer than trading individual volatile stocks, provided you don’t over-leverage. Futures are only riskier if you fully utilize the margin, which most traders shouldn’t do. Bottom line: respect the leverage, start small, and futures don’t have to be any riskier than other trading.

The Ticks & Trades strategy is all about a systematic, rules-based approach to trading the ES futures. Sam Morton (the founder) focuses on teaching you to read price charts and identify key levels where high-probability trades exist – these are the Daily Levels that he calculates each morning. The idea is to use those pre-defined support/resistance levels as a roadmap and apply a set of rules for entries, exits, and risk management, rather than chasing random trades. It’s a disciplined process; there are no magical shortcuts or “get-rich-quick” hacks here. You’ll learn to take the setups that meet the criteria, manage the trade by the rules, and over time build consistency by sticking to the system.

Support and resistance are key price levels where the market tends to pause or reverse. Support is like a “floor” beneath the price – an area where buying interest might come in to stop a price drop (and often cause a bounce). Resistance is the opposite – a “ceiling” above the price where selling pressure might emerge to cap a rally. These levels can be based on previous highs or lows, technical calculations, or other indicators. Traders watch support/resistance because prices often stall or turn at these points. In practice, if ES is falling toward a known support level, many traders will look for a bottoming pattern to potentially buy; if ES is rising into resistance, traders get cautious or look for signs of a reversal. Ticks & Trades’ Daily Levels are essentially important support/resistance levels identified for each day.

ES futures are influenced by the same factors that move the stock market as a whole – and then some. Major economic news (like jobs reports, inflation data, Fed interest rate decisions) can cause big swings in the S&P 500. Company earnings and geopolitical events (e.g. elections, trade wars) also play a role. Additionally, because ES trades nearly 24 hours, it reacts to developments in overseas markets too. For example, if European or Asian markets are rallying or tanking overnight, ES will often move in sympathy. In the early pre-market hours (e.g. 3–4 AM Eastern), European economic news releases can make ES volatile. In short, any significant news – U.S. or global – can impact ES, especially if it affects overall investor sentiment. Keeping an eye on an economic calendar and global headlines is wise when trading ES.

The busiest time for ES is during the U.S. stock market hours, roughly 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern Time. In particular, the opening hour (9:30–10:30 AM ET) often has a surge of volatility and volume as traders react to overnight news and the cash stock market opening. Likewise, the last hour of the stock market (3–4 PM ET) can see active moves as positions are adjusted before the close. Outside regular hours, early mornings (around the European market open) – roughly 3:00 AM to 5:00 AM ET – can be lively if there’s important news from Europe. On the flip side, the quietest period is often late at night (e.g. 8 PM to midnight ET), when neither U.S. nor European markets are fully open and major news is scarce. As a day trader, you’ll likely find the best opportunities when volume is high (US morning session) and might choose to avoid the thin, slow overnight stretches except when a big event (like an election or overseas central bank meeting) is causing unusual action.

Risk management is absolutely crucial in futures trading. The first rule is to never trade more contracts than you can afford – keep your position size modest relative to your account. Just because the broker lets you trade, say, 5 ES contracts on your margin doesn’t mean you should; trading fewer contracts can keep your risk in check. The second rule: always use a stop-loss order. A stop-loss is a pre-set exit that will cut your losing trade if the price hits a certain level against you. It’s your safety net and first line of defense – even the most confident trade setup needs a fail-safe point to prevent a catastrophic loss. By sticking to stops, you remove the emotion – you won’t be tempted to hold and hope if the trade goes bad. Additionally, good risk management means not risking too much of your account on any single trade. A common guideline is risking no more than 1-2% of your account per trade, so that a string of losses won’t wipe you out. To summarize: use stops, size your trades prudently, and live to trade another day.

That depends on your goals and schedule, but many people gravitate toward day trading the ES – meaning you open and close positions within the same day. Day trading has the benefit of no overnight risk (you won’t wake up to a surprise big move against you) and often lower margin requirements intraday. The Ticks & Trades strategy in particular is oriented toward day trading the daily levels (the levels are recalculated each morning for that session). Swing trading, on the other hand, means holding a position for multiple days to target a larger move. It can be profitable too, but you’ll need to be able to weather overnight volatility and meet higher margin to hold contracts after the market close. If you have a full-time job or prefer to sleep soundly without monitoring the global news at 3 AM, starting as a day trader is probably more manageable. You can always transition to occasional swing trades once you’re comfortable – for example, you might hold an ES position for a few days if you anticipate a big trend, but that comes with additional risk. In summary: day trading offers quick in-and-out opportunities and aligns well with using daily key levels, whereas swing trading requires more patience and risk tolerance. Many traders do a mix, but as a beginner, focusing on day trades is a solid approach.

Not at all. In fact, part of the Ticks & Trades philosophy is to integrate trading into your life – not have you chained to the screen 24/7. Many ES day traders choose specific time windows to trade (often the morning session) and then step away during the midday lull. With a game plan in hand (thanks to the Daily Levels), you might only need to be actively watching the market when it’s near those key levels or during high-opportunity periods. Outside of those, you can focus on other things. You don’t want to over-trade; it’s better to take one or two solid trades a day than to sit there forcing trades all day long. So if you have a day job or other obligations, you can absolutely still trade – for example, you might check in for an hour in the morning or around lunch. The strategy is flexible; it’s about quality trades, not quantity, and being selective rather than glued to the screen.

We’ve all been there! Some classic beginner mistakes in futures include: overleveraging (trading too big of a position for your account – resist the temptation to max out on contracts), not using stop-losses (hoping a losing trade comes back is a fast way to blow up an account), and overtrading (taking a bunch of impulsive trades without a solid setup). Another mistake is letting emotions take over – like revenge trading after a loss, or getting greedy and deviating from your plan. It’s also easy to get FOMO (fear of missing out) and jump into a move late, only to have it reverse on you. To avoid these: stick to your strategy rules, keep your trade size small at first, always set a stop, and be patient. Every trader hits rough patches – the key is to limit your losses when you’re wrong and not compound errors. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint; consistency beats shooting for home runs on every trade.

Yes. The futures market has built-in price limit rules to prevent extreme crashes or spikes. If the S&P 500 futures drop too much too fast, trading can be paused. For instance, outside of regular stock hours, a 5% down-move from the prior reference price will trigger a halt (and during stock market hours, there are tiered limits like 7%, 13%, and 20% down that trigger halts). These are often called circuit breakers. On big news days (like a surprise election result or economic shock), you might see ES futures “limit down” or “limit up,” meaning they’ve hit those thresholds and temporarily can’t trade beyond them until the lock is lifted. It’s a protective mechanism to give the market a breather. In practical terms, as a day trader you won’t encounter this often, but it’s good to know: if ES is ever down 7% in the middle of the day, the exchange will pause trading for a short period. Similarly, overnight if it hits -5%, it’ll halt until either the limit is widened or regular hours begin. These limits help prevent panic and give traders a chance to digest information during extreme volatility.

You can use any trading platform that supports futures – there are many good options. Popular choices include thinkorswim, NinjaTrader, TradeStation, Interactive Brokers’ Trader Workstation, Sierra Chart, and others. The key features you need are: access to CME data (real-time quotes for ES), charting tools, and order entry for futures. Most futures brokers will provide their platform for free or a modest cost as long as you have an account. If you’re new, you might start with something user-friendly like thinkorswim or a free simulation on NinjaTrader. You don’t need super fancy software or expensive “signal” services – the basics (charts, a few technical indicators, and a reliable order execution interface) are enough. The Ticks & Trades strategy doesn’t rely on proprietary indicators, so the standard tools on these platforms will work. Just make sure whatever platform you choose, you’re comfortable with placing orders (especially setting stop-losses and targets) before you trade live money.

Not particularly – the strategy keeps it pretty straightforward. The core tools you’ll use are the Daily Levels (provided by Ticks & Trades each day) and good old chart analysis. The Ticks and Trades' approach emphasizes a good understanding of price action around those levels, with help from common technical analysis tools like support/resistance lines, moving averages, candlestick patterns, etc. There’s no proprietary black-box indicator you must buy. If your charting platform lets you draw horizontal lines (to mark the Daily Levels) and add things like SMAs (simple moving averages) and Fibonacci retracement/extension levels, you’re pretty much set. The emphasis is on simplified trading, so it’s about mastering a few basic tools really well rather than juggling a dozen confusing indicators.

Absolutely – and it’s a great idea to do so! Most platforms and brokers offer some form of paper trading or simulation mode for futures. There’s also the CME Group’s own simulated trading competitions and tools. By practicing on a simulator, you can execute trades with real market prices but fake money, which helps you build skill and confidence in the strategy without losing cash on newbie mistakes. Just remember: treat the simulator seriously (follow your stops and rules as if it were real). Once you can consistently turn a profit on the sim with the strategy, that’s a good sign you might be ready to go live. It also lets you get comfortable with the mechanics of the platform – so you won’t fumble placing a trade when real money is on the line.

Futures trading does come with some costs, but they’re generally pretty reasonable. Key costs include: commissions, exchange fees, and possibly data fees. Commissions are charged by your broker per contract traded (for ES, maybe something like $1 to $3 per round-turn, depending on broker and plan). The CME exchange also charges a fee that’s typically embedded in that or shown separately (a small amount per contract). Real-time CME data for ES might cost around $5-$15/month if you’re not on a broker platform that provides it for free – but many brokers waive data fees for active traders. The good news is there’s no management fee for holding a futures contract (unlike an ETF which has an expense ratio). Also, futures trading is very cost-efficient: the leverage means you’re putting up less capital, and the liquidity in ES keeps bid-ask spreads tight (usually only a tick wide). So, while you should be aware of commissions (say you do 10 trades a day, that’s 20 legs per contract, so it adds up), the costs on mainstream futures are among the lowest in trading. Always check your broker’s fee schedule so you’re not surprised, but for one ES contract, a few bucks in + out (also called a "round trip") is typical.

Futures aren’t like stocks; they have expiration dates. The ES futures have quarterly expiration months: March, June, September, December (you’ll often see them referred to by codes: H, M, U, Z for those months). For example, ESU25 would be the September 2025 E-mini contract. Each contract technically “expires” on the third Friday of its month (and final trading is usually the Thursday night before or that Friday morning). Now, you don’t want to hold a day trading position until expiration – most traders will roll over to the next contract a week or so before expiry. “Rolling over” just means switching to trade the next active contract. In practice, CME will list several forward contracts, but liquidity will concentrate in the front month (the nearest expiry) until the week before it expires, then it shifts to the next one. As a trader, you simply start trading the new one when volume moves. The good thing with ES: it’s cash-settled at expiration (no physical delivery – you’re paid/charged the difference in cash), so even if you accidentally held it through expiry, you’d just get the settlement value in your account. But generally, you’ll close or roll it before then. So remember: trade the contract with the highest volume (usually the current quarter), and mark your calendar for rollover week (March, June, Sep, Dec) to switch contracts. Your platform might even do this automatically or give you a notification.

Daily Levels are key price levels for the S&P 500 that Sam calculates and shares each morning. The SPY price is used as reference for the Daily Levels. Think of them as pre-determined support and resistance levels for that trading day. Sam uses the S&P 500 (SPY) data to come up with these levels before the market opens. The result is usually a handful of price zones – for example, certain support levels where buying might come in, and resistance levels where selling might occur. These levels are the cornerstone of the Ticks & Trades strategy: they give you a roadmap of where the market likely has turning points or at least where you should pay close attention - including probable "axis" levels which can serve as a gauge of bullish or bearish behavior for the day. Depending on what price does in the SPY at the Daily Levels, trades against those levels are entered in the ES. The ES and the SPY corollate. Instead of guessing, you’ll know “If SPY drops to XYZ level, I’ll watch for a potential bounce,” or “If it rallies to ABC level, that could be a top for the day.” Daily Levels simplify your day – you come in with a plan.

The levels are generated using Sam’s own techniques applied to the prior market data – specifically, using the SPY ETF prices each morning. It’s a bit like how traders use pivot points or fib levels, but in this case, it’s Sam’s proprietary recipe and includes other indicators. In short, he crunches some numbers before the opening bell to derive these important price points. They are not just subjective guesses. The exact process isn’t publicly disclosed (that’s what you learn to utilize in the E-Mini Trading 101 course), but you can often see that the levels line up with places the market reacts. So, while you won’t have to calculate them yourself – they’re provided to members – you can trust that there’s a logic behind them rooted in technical analysis of the S&P’s behavior.

 You use them as guideposts for planning trades. Once you have the Daily Levels, plot them on your chart. As the day unfolds, observe how price behaves when it nears those levels. For example, if SPY / ES is falling and approaches a Daily support level, you’ll watch for signs of buyers stepping in – that could be your cue to consider a long (buy) trade, with the idea that level will hold as a floor. Conversely, if SPY / ES is climbing toward a Daily resistance level, you’d be cautious with longs and possibly look for a short setup if the market starts to stall or reverse there. Essentially, the levels highlight high-probability zones for reversals or consolidations. A common approach is to wait for the market to come to a level, then look for your entry trigger (could be a candlestick pattern, a momentum shift, etc.) around that area. Also, Daily Levels can be used for setting profit targets – if you’re long from lower down, you might take profit as a key resistance level is hit, expecting a reaction. They help you avoid trading in the “middle of nowhere” and instead focus on areas where the market is likely to do something interesting. Always remember to still use proper risk management (just because a level is there doesn’t guarantee it holds or reverses – but it gives you an edge to lean on).

The Daily Levels are posted each morning on the Ticks & Trades website in the members-only section. Sam typically has them up by 9:00 AM Eastern Time (before the NYSE market open). On a normal trading day (when the stock market is open), you can log in to the members area of ticksandtrades.com and you’ll find that day’s levels listed. If you’re subscribed to the Daily Levels, you’ll have access to this members page. There’s usually a new post each trading morning with the date. (No levels on weekends or holidays when the NYSE is closed, of course.) Many traders check them first thing in the morning and jot them down or put lines on their charts accordingly. Since they’re available pre-market, you have time to prepare before things get active at 9:30 AM. It’s a quick routine: morning coffee, check Daily Levels, mark them, and you’re ready for the session.

It’s highly recommended, yes. While it’s not a strict requirement – i.e. you could technically subscribe to Daily Levels and ignore the included course – the course provides the context and strategy for how to use those levels. The E-mini Trading 101 course teaches you how to read the charts and what to look for when price reaches a level. The training material and the Daily Levels go hand in hand. Without the education, a newbie might see a level and not know whether to trust it or how to confirm a trade around it. The course gives you the “why” and “how” behind the levels: how they’re derived, what price action to expect around them, and how to integrate them into a full trading plan. Many traders find that the levels make a lot more sense (and yield better results) once they understand the methodology taught in the course. So, while you could attempt to trade just off the posted numbers, you’ll get far more value (and confidence) if you also learn the strategy via the course.

It’s an online course offered by Ticks & Trades that covers the fundamentals of trading the E-mini S&P in a systematic way. It is included as a free resource for everyone who subscribes to the Daily Levels & Game Plan subscription service. Think of the course as the comprehensive training program for Sam’s strategy. In the course, Sam walks you through everything he’s learned – from reading price charts and interpreting indicators, to understanding market structure – basically all the tools and techniques for finding high-probability trades on the ES. It starts from the basics (so even if you’re new to futures, it’s okay) and builds up to the specific process he uses. By the end of it, you should know how to identify the trade setups, manage your trades, and use the Daily Levels effectively as part of that process. It’s called “Trading 101” but it goes beyond just elementary concepts – it really is the foundation for becoming a consistently profitable trader no matter which instrument you prefer, distilled from Sam’s years of experience. The course is typically self-paced online modules, and it’s the first step he recommends before diving into live trading with the daily analysis.

The subscription grants you access to the Members section of the Ticks & Trades site, where the Daily Levels and Game Plans are posted each morning. So, first and foremost, you get the fresh set of levels every trading day pre-market. In addition, members get any extra resources Sam provides – for example, occasionally there might be bonus materials, reference guides, or updates in that section. Being a member also means you’re part of the Ticks & Trades community, even if it’s not a forum-type community currently. You have the ability to reach out with questions and get support. And, of course, the Daily Levels posts themselves often include a bit of commentary or context for the day. Included with the Daily Levels subscription is the E-mini Trading 101 course, at no charge. Having access to the Daily Levels is like having a cheat sheet for the market each morning, which combined with your training helps you plan your trades.

Yes! The Daily Recaps that Sam does are available for free on this site. These are the pre-market Game Plan and Levels along with the post--market synopsis posted after each trading day where Sam reviews the day’s market action – essentially walking through how the SPY / ES moved relative to the predicted levels, what setups occurred, how the level were traded, etc. The recaps are a great learning tool. Prior to November 4, 2025, the Daily Recaps are available on the Ticks & Trades YouTube channel. You can watch how the levels played out and how Sam interprets the day’s moves, which can reinforce the lessons from the course. The recap videos “scratch the surface” of the tools and concepts he teaches – meaning they’re a glimpse into the strategy in action. You can find these videos on the Ticks & Trades YouTube channel or linked through this website. Even if you’re not a paying member, you can use the recaps to start getting a feel for the methodology. They’re also useful for members to review and self-critique (“Did I trade that level the way Sam did/explained? What did I miss?”). So definitely take advantage of those free market/trading recaps.

It’s mainly education and guidance, not signal services. Ticks & Trades is not about flashing buy/sell alerts to chase. Instead, you’re given the daily prep (levels) and the know-how to find your own trades around those levels. The goal is to make you a self-sufficient trader. So you won’t see, say, “Text alerts to buy now!” coming from Ticks & Trades – you’ll be learning to identify the opportunity yourself (like “SPY is at support Level 1 and showing a reversal candle and the timing is right -  this could be my long entry”). This is by design; Ticks & Trades will recap trades in the daily videos and might mention, for example, how a trade at a level could have been executed, but it’s all retrospective or educational. In real-time, it’s up to you to apply the strategy. So, think of the Daily Levels and course materials as your toolbox – not a hotline for hot tips. Of course, if you have questions or need clarification, you can reach out to Sam via email.

Ticks & Trades is run by Sam Morton, the trader and educator behind the site. He’s who developed the strategy and writes the course and daily analysis. Sam isn’t a Wall Street veteran with decades on a trading floor – in fact, he openly shares that he’s a regular guy who started trading later in life and learned through trial, error, and education (he even almost blew up a couple of trading accounts in the early days, before finding consistency). He’s taken everything he learned on his journey to becoming a consistently profitable ES futures trader and packaged it into the Ticks & Trades course and Daily Levels subscription service. So, when you’re reading the site’s content or levels, you’re essentially hearing from Sam. He wears all the hats: founder, mentor, and the voice in the recap videos.

The philosophy is summed up in the tagline: “Simplified Trading for Everyone.” Sam’s approach is to cut through the fluff and demystify futures trading so that normal folks (not just finance pros) can do it. The emphasis is about having a solid process and discipline over chasing quick wins. Ticks & Trades explicitly rejects the “get rich quick” mentality – there are no promises of turning $100 into $100k overnight, no magic indicators that never fail. Instead, Ticks & Trades focuses on teaching a repeatable strategy and stresses that there are no shortcuts – you have to put in the work to learn and accept the ups and downs of trading. Another core theme is freedom and flexibility: trading is seen as a skill that can give you financial and lifestyle freedom, not just money for money’s sake. That’s why the strategy is built to be time-efficient (so you’re not glued to screens all day) and pragmatic. Overall, Ticks & Trades believes in empowering you with knowledge, keeping things simple and clear, and fostering a mindset where you treat trading as a business process, not gambling.

Yes, very much so. Ticks & Trades is actually designed with beginners (and intermediate traders) in mind. Sam mentions that he assumes you might be a lot like he was – someone with a day job, maybe a family, interested in learning to day trade the E-minis, but without decades of experience. The course starts from ground-zero in explaining the E-mini S&P and trading concepts, then builds up to the specific strategy. The language is plain and conversational, not overly technical. And because the philosophy is “simplified trading for everyone,” complex topics are broken down to be easily understood. That said, even experienced traders can benefit if they want a structured approach to ES futures – but if you’re a newbie, you won’t be talked down to or lost in jargon. Just be ready to learn and practice; the material will guide you step by step. Plus, if you ever feel stuck, you can reach out for clarification. In short: if you’re new to futures, Ticks & Trades is actually built for you.

No – Ticks & Trades is an educational service, not a signal provider or a fund. They don’t manage anyone’s money, and they won’t tell you explicitly when to buy or sell in real-time. The goal is to teach you how to make those decisions yourself. So you won’t find things like a managed account or auto-trading service here. And as for “signals,” the closest thing to that are the Daily Levels (which are more like guidance levels, not “take a trade now” alerts). Sam wants you to understand the why behind a trade, not just follow blindly. If you’re looking for a copy-trading or alert service, that’s not what Ticks & Trades is about. It’s about making you a competent trader who can fish for themselves. All trade decisions remain in your hands – with Ticks & Trades equipping you to make better decisions. This also means you retain full control and responsibility for your trading (which is how it should be if you want to truly learn the craft).

You can reach out directly to Sam via email at sam@ticksandtrades.com. There’s also a “Send a message” option on the website. Since it’s a mostly a one-man operation, you’ll likely be speaking directly with Sam or someone close. He’s generally pretty responsive to questions, whether it’s about course content, issues accessing the site, or general trading queries from members. Keep in mind time zones and that if it’s during trading hours he might be busy, but you should get a reply as soon as possible. There isn’t a large customer service department or anything – it’s personal. For member-specific help (like login problems or subscription matters), email is the way to go. For general discussions, you might also find him on social media or the YouTube channel comments. But official queries: shoot an email or message through the site.

Generally, yes – the principles can translate to other instruments, though the specific Daily Levels are for the S&P 500 via the SPY. The skills you learn (reading charts, identifying support/resistance, managing risk, etc.) are universal trading skills. Once you develop this trading skill, you can apply it across other markets and gain more freedom because you'll have a versatile skill set. For example, after becoming proficient with ES, you might use similar techniques on Nasdaq futures (NQ) or on forex or stocks. Of course, every market has its nuances – you’d need to find or calculate key levels for those other markets since Ticks & Trades specifically provides them for the S&P/ES. But many graduates of trading courses find they can trade multiple things (some might even trade ES in the morning and, say, crude oil or bonds later). The strategy is based on technical analysis and market psychology that isn’t exclusive to the S&P. So while Ticks & Trades’ focus is ES futures, you are in fact learning a portable skill. Just remember to paper-test and get familiar with any new market’s behavior before throwing real money, as volatility and dynamics can differ. But yes, the core concepts absolutely can be applied elsewhere.

No – and be wary of anyone who would promise that! Trading involves risk, and no strategy wins 100% of the time. Ticks & Trades is upfront about this. What Ticks & Trades provides is education and a methodology that, if followed with discipline, aims to tilt odds in your favor. But you’re still going to have losing trades (and even losing days or weeks) sometimes – that’s part of trading. The goal is that with the right process, your winners outweigh your losers over the long run. Any vendor guaranteeing profits is selling snake oil; Ticks & Trades makes no such claims. The onus is on you to learn and execute well. Think of it like a gym membership: they can show you how to exercise, but they can’t guarantee you’ll get six-pack abs – that depends on your effort and consistency. Similarly, Ticks & Trades will give you the tools and knowledge, but what you make of it depends on your work ethic, practice, and mindset.

In trading lingo, a tick is the smallest unit of price movement in futures trading (as we discussed, for ES that’s 0.25 points). Trading often comes down to those little ticks adding up to big profits or losses. So “Ticks & Trades” captures the essence of what the site is about: focusing on the details of price movement (ticks) and the actual act of trading. It implies a blend of technical precision (watching those ticks) and practical application (making trades). Plus, we think it's catchy – the alliteration rolls off the tongue and is easy to remember. So, the name reflects the content: you’re going to learn about ticks (price increments, market movement) and how to make good trades. It’s also subtly saying that even the small moves matter and can be part of a successful strategy. All in all, “Ticks & Trades” sums up the idea of mastering the small stuff (ticks) to execute profitable trading.

Yes, you can. In fact, the strategy is meant to be workable even if you’re not a full-time trader. Many people who follow Ticks & Trades have 9-to-5 jobs or other commitments. The key is that the Daily Levels give you a pre-market plan, so you know the important prices to watch. You might decide to trade for an hour in the morning before work (for example, catching the opening volatility from 9:30 to 10:30 AM ET) or perhaps trade for a bit after you get home if the market’s still active. Because ES trades nearly round the clock, there’s some flexibility in schedule – though the U.S. morning tends to be prime time. You can set alerts at certain levels and only check the market when those alerts hit, rather than staring at charts all day. If you can’t be at a screen during certain hours, you simply don’t trade then – you focus on times you can monitor. The strategy doesn’t require rapid scalping or constant management every minute; it’s more about being prepared around key areas. So even with a day job, you might take one solid trade a day when conditions line up. Many part-timers do exactly that. Just be realistic – don’t try to trade from work if your job doesn’t allow it (distracted trading can be dangerous). But if you can carve out a regular window (even just 30-60 minutes a day) to focus on trading, you can absolutely implement this strategy. Over time, if you get really good, who knows – maybe the goal is to make trading your day job!