Meet Bob Desmond

Be Informed. Not Influenced.

Trusted Since 2005 · 20 Years of Market Experience · Founder of the Conviction Meter™

Built For Traders Who Work For a Living

I launched The Contrarian Trader in 2005 with one mission:
help everyday traders win in a market designed to mislead them.
For two decades I delivered real-time trade alerts, market analysis, and economic breakdowns to thousands of members. But as I coached more traders, I realized something deeper:
People weren’t failing because they were bad traders —
they were failing because the system they were taught was broken.
Most traders never learn structure.
Most traders never learn risk.
Most traders never learn why they’re entering a trade in the first place.
So I built the tools I wished I had 20 years ago.

Action is the real measure of intelligence.
Do not wait. The time will never be just right.

— Napoleon Hill

From Trade Alerts… to a Full Trading OS

The Contrarian Trader is no longer just alerts.
It’s a complete trading operating system:

  • The Conviction Meter™ — Know exactly why you’re in a trade.
  • Phase Tracking — Launch, Anchor, Harvest.
  • Real-Time Trade Alerts — Built for working adults, not day traders.
  • The Week Ahead Strategy Session — Your blueprint before the market opens.
  • Market Wrap Commentary — Daily clarity, not CNBC noise.
  • Slack Community — High-signal, thoughtful traders.
  • Trade Journaling (Phase III) — AI-driven behavior tracking.

And yes… it’s powered by the same charting engine I’ve used for over a decade:
TrendSpider — included in Gold + Titanium ($1,600/year value).
This evolution wasn’t planned.
It was demanded.

Clarity Fixes 90% of Trading Mistakes

After 20 years of coaching traders, I noticed the same pattern:
People lose money because they’re guessing.

  • Guessing size.
  • Guessing conviction.
  • Guessing when to enter.
  • Guessing when to exit.
  • Guessing is expensive.

So I built a system that replaces guessing with structure.
A system where every trade has:

  • A phase
  • A purpose
  • A conviction score
  • A clear scale-in and scale-out plan

The Conviction Meter™ was built from my battle scars —
and it’s built to eliminate yours.

Over the years, I watched members transform from overwhelmed and inconsistent to calm, structured traders — often within their first two weeks.
The Conviction Meter™ became the bridge between “hoping a trade works” and knowing why you’re in it.

The big money is in the waiting.
A trader must believe in himself and his judgment.

— Jesse Livermore

Long-Term Wealth, Built the Contrarian Way

We are swing traders first.
But sometimes the market gifts a once-in-a-decade opportunity:
high-quality businesses temporarily yielding 7–13% because fear pushed them too low.

Examples:

  • FLNG — 13% yield
  • UPS — 7% after panic selling
  • LYB — 12.5% deep value

These rare setups let you do something powerful:
Buy income streams that can eventually pay for your membership.
Selective. Conservative. High-reward. Long-term.
The 7% Dividend Strategy is a strategic addition, not the brand 

Trade Without Noise or Chaos

  • No Discord chaos.
  • No meme traders.
  • No YOLO gambling.

Our community runs on Slack — used by professional teams and financial firms.
Built for:

  • Serious working adults
  • Serious working adults
  • Respectful discussion
  • Trade idea refinement
  • Staying informed without overwhelm

A professional trading environment.
Not a fan club.
Not a hype group.

The market is never wrong — opinions often are.
There is nothing new on Wall Street…

— Larry Livingston

If You’re Ready to Trade With Structure, You Belong Here

  • You don’t need to be perfect.
  • You don’t need to be full-time.
  • You don’t need to stare at screens all day.
  • You need structure.
  • You need clarity.
  • You need a system designed for real life.

You have a career, a family, responsibilities — you need a system that works with real life, not against it.
That’s what TCT is.

Start Trading With Structure

Join thousands of traders who rely on TCT for clarity, confidence, and consistency.

See Membership Options Meet the TCT Operating System