For 20 years I have been dealing privately in equities, funds and certificates. As a professional dealer at Smart Markets I have been engaged for ten years in short-term trading and day trading.

I took a degree in industrial economics at Cologne, majoring in capital-market theory. I subsequently took training courses to qualify as a Certified European Financial Analyst (CEFA) and a Certified International Investment Analyst (CIIA).

As a young man I found it fascinating that money can work for you and you yourself do not need to work. Today I know of course that you actually do have to do something for it. But at this point I was already very clear about my career, and the training I took was directed to this goal.

I find the whole idea really great, that in future you will be able to handle your complete financial investments via an app on a mobile phone. I do my best to see that here too investors can participate in short-term trading.

I am very satisfied with a double-digit return per year. Given 10 per cent a year, that means the capital will double every seven years.

Only come in with me if you can cope with strong fluctuations and have a long-term investment outlook. I have no crystal ball, and the market gives us nothing, so you and I need patience. But as a rule that pays in the long term. And you should follow the percentage recommendation, since the size of my position fluctuates strongly in part, though the loss risk per trade remains relative constant.