Site Visitor Frequently Asked Questions
When are the signals updated?
The ETF signals are updated weekly - usually by Saturday evening but sometimes on Sunday (no later than Sunday afternoon) if there is a problem with availability of the data necessary to generate the signals.
The ETF signals only change once per week (at most). If you check on Sunday evening or Monday morning, you will see if there is a switch to be made that week.
The TSP system only makes changes once per month (at most). If there is a trade, it will be posted during the second weekend of the month.
Do I have to install any software to use these systems?
No! Each time one of our systems has a new signal, we post them on the web. You don't have to use any software to use these systems – all you need is access to a web browser to view the signals on the web.
Do you offer a free trial period?
Although we don't offer a free trial period as such, we do publish all the main signals in the public area of the web site every time we update the members area. The only difference between the information in the members area and the publicly available tables is that only members can see what the current positions are and the new signals, if any.
The page with the demonstration of the signals is here.
Thus you can follow along with the systems for as long as you want before joining - in essence this is a free trial without the need to signup.
Do the signal returns reported reflect commissions, taxes or other expenses?
The trade returns for the signals that trade at the market open do not reflect commissions or taxes, nor do they include interest earned while in cash. We recommend using a discount broker to minimize the impact of brokers' commissions on your trading results.
The only difference between the signals that trade at the close versus those that trade at the open (for these purposes) is the signals that trade at the close use the adjusted closing price which takes into account dividends.
What are the ETF's that the ETF systems trade?
For a list of the exchange traded funds that the systems switch between, click here.
What is TSP?
The TSP is the Thrift Savings Plan, similar to a 401K plan. It is available to U.S. federal employees and military members.
What is QQQQ?
QQQQ is an Exchange Trade Fund. It trades just like a stock, but it represents the Nasdaq 100 index.
Please click here for a more detailed description of QQQQ.
How do I cancel automatic rebilling?
We don't offer subscriptions with recurring billing. All of the memberships are either unlimited or have a fixed term with no recurring billing. With an unlimited membership, for as long as we provide the signals to any customers, you get access. For fixed term memberships, your access will expire automatically at the end of the period unless you choose to renew.
Why try to time the stock market?
Practically everyone who invests uses a timing system. Many people just don't realize it. Even the popular "buy and hold" strategy is a timing system — investors buy when they have the money, and sell when they need the money (or when they get too nervous and sell, such as during a market decline.) Worse yet, the buy and hold strategy is based on timing that is usually unrelated to any attempt to maximize profit and minimize risk!
Market timing could be defined as the act of making buy and sell decisions based on a defined criteria. The criteria could range from market indicators such as volume traded or price trends, to general economic indicators like the prime lending rate or the latest inflation or unemployment numbers.
Many investors' (including those following buy and hold) timing attempts fail because they allow emotions to override intellect. People tend to buy high when enthusiasm for a stock or the market is at its greatest, and sell low when the market drops and psychological depression sets in and enthusiasm wanes. This even happens to those pundits who follow the market news as it "breaks" each day!
Systematic timing strategies attempt to achieve greater returns than buy and hold, and reduce the size of confidence-shaking drawdowns by applying mathematical and statistical analysis to help predict when to buy and sell. The art is in knowing what criteria or indicators to use, and how to use them! Of course, nobody can predict the market with certainty. However, a well designed and tested market timing system can beat a traditional buy and hold strategy.
Should I diversify my trading approaches?
We strongly believe that all investors should map out a diversified investment strategy for their portfolio. What does that mean? Simply stated, don't place all your eggs in the same basket! In other words, invest your funds in several places and ways to spread your risk.
There are some rules of thumb that we subscribe to. First, we recommend that you don't put more than half of the investment assets that you are willing to apply to speculative trading strategies in any one strategy. Many investors will want to keep much less than half in a single strategy. Using several timing strategies will help spread your risk.
Second, don't invest in a timing strategy if you will need your money in the short term (the next year or so).
Finally, be prepared to stick with it. Consistency in investing takes emotional fortitude, but can pay huge dividends. Remember, most investors buy high and sell low. Market timing takes those emotional decisions out of play, and helps you maximize your returns over time. The rewards can be tremendous but sometimes it takes patience and perseverance!
Which of the timing system returns are real time, and which are back tested?
There is a paragraph describing when the signal was first posted on our site that accompanies each signal table on the demonstration page.