Reddit EA Claims 65% Returns: Analysis of Automated Trading Claims vs. Industry Reality

The original Reddit post in r/Daytrading claims exceptional performance with a 65.27% return over 90 days using an automated Expert Advisor (EA) on Exness broker [source:reddit]. The author emphasizes zero manual intervention and attributes success to emotion-free execution and consistent risk management. They shared a social trading link for transparency and invited scrutiny of drawdowns and risk metrics.

Community reaction was mixed but notably skeptical:

• User grimmjoww1983 questioned if the author was selling anything, to which OP clarified they were not selling, just showing results for discussion purposes
• Another user asked about copying costs, with OP confirming there are costs for investors who want to participate
• BarnacleHeretic expressed skepticism about the strategy surviving the next drawdown, which OP acknowledged by saying they would “wait and see”

The post received limited engagement with 7 comments and a 0.67 upvote ratio, suggesting community hesitation about the claims.

Exness is a legitimate and well-regulated forex broker with multiple top-tier regulatory licenses including FCA (UK), CySEC (Cyprus), FSCA (South Africa), and FSA (Seychelles) [source:0][source:1]. The broker operates through different legal entities serving various regions with verifiable license numbers. User reviews are predominantly positive, with a Trustpilot rating of 4.8/5 from over 24,000 reviews [source:2][source:3]. Common praise focuses on fast withdrawals, transparent pricing, and reliable customer support.

However, industry data strongly contradicts the claimed returns:

• Realistic monthly returns for quality forex EAs range from 2.5-3.4% according to verified user reviews
• Professional prop firms typically set profit targets of 8-10% annually with strict drawdown limits of 5-10%
• 85-95% of traders fail funded account challenges, demonstrating the difficulty of consistent profitability
• High-return claims like 65% in 90 days usually involve unsustainable risk levels or short-term luck [source:4][source:5]

The Reddit claim of 65% returns in 90 days represents a significant deviation from industry standards. While Exness is a legitimate broker, the performance claims appear unrealistic based on comprehensive industry data. The author’s transparency about sharing social trading data is commendable, but the returns exceed sustainable forex trading benchmarks by a wide margin.

The community’s skepticism appears justified. Professional trading firms and successful EA developers typically target steady, risk-managed growth rather than explosive short-term gains. The claimed returns would require either exceptionally high risk or unusually favorable market conditions that are unlikely to persist.

• Unsustainable Returns
  : 65% in 90 days suggests excessive risk-taking that could lead to catastrophic losses
• High Drawdown Potential
  : Strategies generating such returns typically experience severe drawdowns
• ** survivorship Bias**: Successful claims may represent lucky periods rather than consistent performance
• Copy Trading Costs
  : While OP mentioned costs for investors, specific fees weren’t disclosed

• Legitimate Broker
  : Exness provides a regulated platform for forex trading with strong user satisfaction
• Automation Benefits
  : EAs can eliminate emotional trading and maintain discipline
• Transparency
  : The willingness to share social trading data allows for independent verification

Investors should approach such claims with extreme caution. While automated trading can offer benefits, realistic expectations should align with industry benchmarks of 2.5-3.4% monthly returns for quality EAs. Any strategy claiming 65% returns in 90 days warrants thorough due diligence, including examination of maximum drawdowns, risk management protocols, and longer-term performance data.

The forex market’s high failure rate (85-95% of traders fail funded challenges) underscores the difficulty of achieving consistent profitability, let alone exceptional returns.