Alexander Elder

Alexander Elder emigrated from the Soviet Union and trained as a psychiatrist before turning to trading. His 1993 book "Trading for a Living" sold over 500,000 copies and became a foundational text for retail traders, blending mental discipline, money management, and technical analysis into an integrated framework. He developed the Triple Screen trading system, which uses multiple timeframes to confirm signals. Elder founded SpikeTrade, a trading club, and continues teaching through seminars and updated editions of his books. His application of psychological concepts — including impulse control, greed management, and the identification of destructive trading patterns — distinguished his approach from purely technical methodologies. The emphasis on keeping a trading journal, conducting regular self-reviews, and treating trading as a professional discipline rather than gambling has influenced a generation of both retail and professional traders who credit his work for improving their consistency and risk management practices.