It’s only the first month of 2026, and if there’s one word I keep hearing from traders, it’s this:
“Overwhelmed.”
With the markets bouncing around, mixed signals in the headlines, and plenty of opinions out there, it’s easy to feel uncertain about your next move.
But that’s exactly why we do this Mailbag every Friday.
More often than not, you’ve got the same questions—feeling the same whiplash—as everyone else.
And this week, your fellow Patterns & Profits traders are asking how to navigate a complicated market.
So let’s dig in…
Q: Tom, this market is crazy and unpredictable, and I find myself being frozen to the point where I don’t know if I want to trade right now… or if I do, I can’t figure out WHAT to trade. How do I go about finding opportunities that aren’t just shots in the dark?
Great question—and believe me, you’re not alone.
The markets have been all over the place. One day we’re down 800 points… the next, we’re up 600. And the why behind those moves? Well, it changes by the hour.
Maybe it’s a tariff announcement. Maybe it’s an earnings surprise or a new Fed headline—like the apparent criminal investigation into our sitting Fed Chair, Jerome Powell.
All of it creates chaos. And that chaos makes it tough for any trader or investor to commit to a direction with confidence.
But that’s where patterns come in…
And as a pattern trader, I’ve learned time and time again that humans are creatures of habit.
Sure, the 24-hour news cycle may shake the markets in the short term. But in the long run, people invest in what they know—and those habits leave footprints.
That’s exactly what my Money Calendar tool tracks. It scans for repeating seasonal patterns based on more than a decade of market data. It helps me (and you) zero in on where those habits are showing up again and again.
And when we spot those patterns, we can build smart, calculated trades… whether the market’s up, down, or sideways.
Q: Tom’s Tools… what are they? How do they work? Most importantly, can they really change my trading game or give me better success with my trades?
I love this one, and it comes in a lot more often than you may think.
Now, I could sit here and list out everything I think makes these tools some of the most powerful analytics platforms available today. But of course I’d say that, right?
So instead, I’ll let one of our longtime subscribers do the talking. Here’s what Mr. Campbell recently shared with me about his journey:
Mr. Campbell here.
I thought I would share how valuable my subscription to Tom’s Trading Tools is to me. I started following your trading philosophy when I became familiar with you from another publication. I was getting ready to retire and thought I might earn some extra money trading in the market.
Good plan—but I had no real experience trading options and individual stocks. Naturally, I had a learning curve. And not enough time to really dig into the trading mindset. Like many followers, I took trade ideas and did OK. But OK is not good enough for my personality type.
A YouTube clip led me to a phone number and then to Jay. He helped answer questions and offered some ideas. I finally purchased a subscription to Trading Tools. That’s when things changed. Your podcasts made sense with me able to scroll around through the Tools. At that point, my IRA and trading account totaled roughly $300,000.
I needed to start learning to use the tools. 2019 was bad. 2020 was less bad, but still not good. I took a couple of the Master Courses… 2021 recovered the previous losses. With some confidence, 2022 was good—25% gain with 65% wins. This is where the magic began.
Calendar spreads, selling premium, straddles, and strangles made my life wonderful!
The YouTube videos kept noting seasonal patterns… I made a trading log. Set up a daily calendar that looks like the Money Calendar and listed every trade on it. To make a long story shorter, my win rate is incredible. In 2025 it was 87.2% wins. (2024 was slightly better). I am doing about 1,500 trade legs for the year. I learned to roll and the losses almost evaporated. Today I just finished the P&L—2025 was a banner year: $418,000 profit.
Since subscribing to your Trading Tools, my portfolio is up 3X. The balances are now north of the 7-figure mark, and my wife could not be happier.
For anyone who is on the fencepost about investing in Tom’s Trading Tools… I would encourage them to step out. Take the leap of faith—faith based on their desire to really be comfortable with the market. In this arena, knowledge really is power.
Tom, I am so grateful to you and the programmer who made your software possible. There truly is nothing else like it that normal folks like me can obtain. I’m also thankful to your team—many podcasts and Master Classes with yourself, Mike Wade, Joe Contes, Jeff Beamer, and Jay have answered countless questions I wanted to understand better.
You guys are the BEST.
Many thanks and my heartfelt gratitude.
I expect 2026 to be another great year.
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Mr. Campbell. And cheers to another great year!🍷
At the end of the day, that’s what we’re here for: to give everyday traders the tools, training, and confidence to take control of their success.
And if you’ve got a question for me… don’t keep it to yourself.
Email it my way, and your question might just be the one I tackle in next week’s Mailbag.
Until then, stay healthy, stay happy—and stay warm!
Tom Gentile
America’s Pattern Trader
