True story, probably experienced by thousands of people. Know someone who was into daytrading stocks and such. He had a home, no mortgage, no debt. Ended up losing the home. Wife left, took the kids. Wife eventually came back with the kids, they live a simple life now in some apartment. Life is not what it was, but they're getting by.
If you don't know what you're doing, you can lose everything. When you talk with truly successful traders (I know one who makes a million a year or more), you learn to appreciate that doing it well is difficult and requires a discipline that few people have.
This fiduciary disconnect can create a lot of malevolent market behaviour if controls aren't in place. And more often than not, controls aren't in place.
>You win, you get commission. You lose, it's not your money.
You get a wage either way. If the bank profits you get a bonus too even if you lost your customers money. If you screw the bank up the gov bails you out and you still get a bonus.
If you don't know what you're doing, you can lose everything. When you talk with truly successful traders (I know one who makes a million a year or more), you learn to appreciate that doing it well is difficult and requires a discipline that few people have.