Interview  |  FEB 2008

Interview The World Of Commodities With Carley Garner by Jayanthi Gopalakrishnan

Interview The World Of Commodities With Carley Garner by Jayanthi Gopalakrishnan Alaron broker and analyst Carley Garner has been involved with the markets for years and is actively educating traders through web content and online seminars at CommodityTradingSchool.com and through the web newsletters she writes (The Dow/NASDAQ Report and The Bond Report). She has just cowritten with partner Paul Brittain Optionology 101, a guide to option trading, which is scheduled to be published later this year by FT Press. STOCKS & COMMODITIES Editor Jayanthi Gopalakrishnan conducted this interview with Garner via email in early December 2007. Carley, how did you get interested in trading? As a finance and accounting set on being a stockbroker. After a lengthy internship at a brokerage firm, though, I realized that selling high-load mutual funds wasn’t enough to keep me interested. I needed to be doing something with a little more action, but more important, I wanted to be in an arena in which I felt like my services could make a difference. Even inexperienced investors can put their money in a properly diversified and age-adjusted mutual fund that requires essentially no maintenance. It seemed counterproductive to expect investors to pay high transaction costs in the form of loads for something that they could do without my help. Although the risks are higher in the world of futures and options, I thought I could offer more value to my clients. I’m the first to admit to clients that profitable trades are not guaranteed; even the most experienced and educated traders have failing moments. But if the investors are willing to accept the risks involved, I’m more than happy to show them how to increase their odds of success. What are some milestones you’ve achieved along the way to get you to what you’re doing now? I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed every minute of my career. Most people don’t realize how difficult it is to make a living as a commodity broker. After watching the movie Trading Places, I know it’s hard to imagine that some brokers could make more money flipping burgers, but it is true! For those who are willing to put in the time and effort, as well as be honest, even if it means missing out on a potential client, this industry can be very rewarding. major in college, I was

by Jayanthi Gopalakrishnan