Trading TACT
✔ Your resource for automated trading strategy development
✔ Empowering retail traders to create efficient income streams
Why Automated Trading?
Efficiency & Diversification
Simultaneously trade multiple strategies, markets and timeframes, any time of the day.
Determine Strategy Viability
Backtest your strategy to quickly determine its long-term profitability and risk profile.
Minimize Mistakes
Keep emotions at bay with the automatic execution of your trading rules.
StrategyQuant Tutorials
Your all-in-one solution for:
✔ Strategy generation
✔ Robustness testing
✔ Portfolio composition
Check out the software page for more!
Automatic Strategy Generation
Ever wondered how you can harness the efficiency of genetic algorithms to automatically generate profitable trading strategies?
I’ll explain how genetic algorithms work, why you should use them, and show you how to setup StrategyQuant’s genetic builder!
Walk-forward Optimization
Use walk-forward analysis to take your out-of-sample testing to the next level!
I’ll cover the concept and benefits of walk-forward analysis, and demonstrate its application to a trend following strategy.
Monte Carlo Simulations
Want to use Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate your trading strategy’s robustness and estimate worst-case drawdowns?
Here’s what you need to know!
Optimization Profile
Your strategy’s optimization profile reveals its parameter stability, a key consideration before going live.
Here’s how you can use StrategyQuant to calculate & analyze your optimization profile!
Multiple Timeframe Backtesting
Multiple timeframe backtesting can be a great addition to your robustness testing workflow.
Here I explain its benefits, and how to do it using MT4 and StrategyQuant.
AlgoWizard Programming
Are you wondering whether your trading strategy has an edge, but don’t wish to learn coding?
I’ll demonstrate how to use AlgoWizard to program a simple EMA & RSI strategy, and how to export it to MT4 for backtesting.
AlgoWizard Programming #2
Program your trading strategy using this step-by-step guide on AlgoWizard’s FREE visual editor!
No programming knowledge needed!
Automated trading is perfect for part-time retail traders who wish to reduce their screen time and avoid emotional trading.
Portfolio Composition
As if individual strategy development wasn’t difficult enough, you now need to figure out how to combine those strategies into a portfolio.
Fortunately, using QuantAnalyzer, there is an easy way to do it.
Correlation Studies
Looking to construct a diversified portfolio of trading strategies? Chances are you’ll need a strategy correlation matrix.
Here’s how to get one!
Live Trading Tips
Forex Virtual Private Server
Will you benefit from a virtual private server (VPS)? And how do you select the best VPS?
This video has you covered!
Optimize Your MT4
“My computer is too fast”, said nobody ever.
Reduce your MT4’s CPU and RAM usage with this simple guide!
Portable MT4
With portable mode, you easily backup your MT4/5 or transfer it between computers, saving you time when travelling or setting up a new VPS.
Here’s how to do it!
Trading Strategies
What’s the Best Time to Trade Forex?
The forex markets are open 24/5, but not all hours are created equal. Here I dissect my broker data to determine the best time to trade forex.
Forex Weekend Gaps: Can You Exploit Them?
Have you noticed that forex weekend gaps usually reverse within 3 days? Here I’ll program a mean reversion strategy to exploit gaps over the last 18 years!
Dynamic Position Sizing: Is It Time to Go Big?
Should you increase your lot sizes for higher probability trades? Let’s code a dynamic position sizing scheme to capture more outsized wins!
Pivot Points: A Reliable Support & Resistance Indicator
Pivot points are the perfect tool if you trade using support & resistance. Here’s how to develop an automated pivot points forex strategy!
Money Flow Index: An Improved RSI?
The Money Flow Index is sometimes called the volume-weighted RSI. Can it outperform the RSI in this trend following strategy?
Automated Bollinger Bands Squeeze Forex Strategy
StrategyQuant’s BBWR indicator is the perfect tool to detect a Bollinger Bands squeeze. Here I explain how it’s calculated, and use it to program a breakout strategy for the AUDJPY!
Automated Schaff Trend Cycle Forex Strategy
The Schaff Trend Cycle is a unique combination of the MACD and Stochastic indicators. Here’s how you can use it to improve your trend following results!
Should You Use the Kelly Criterion for Forex Trading?
The Kelly criterion is a famous mathematical formula that attempts to maximize your long-term capital growth. In this post, I’ll apply it to a EURUSD breakout strategy and explain some of its potential shortcomings when applied to forex trading.
Forex Intermarket Correlations: How Do You Exploit Them?
Knowledge of intermarket correlations can improve your forex trading win rate. Here I explain three important types of correlations, and how you can use them to benefit your trading.
Can a Trading Pause Improve Your Trend Following Results?
A temporary trading pause can improve your win rate if you’re trend following a volatile market. Here I’ll program a trading pause into a simple breakout strategy, and test its effectiveness on the Widow Maker – the GBPJPY.
Can Partial Profit Taking Benefit Trend Followers?
Partial profit taking is a dilemma often faced by long-term trend followers. Could this benefit your overall strategy performance?
Let’s test!
Ride Breakouts With This Support & Resistance Indicator!
StrategyQuant offers a support & resistance ranking indicator to help detect upcoming breakouts. Use it to program an automated USDJPY strategy!
Automated MACD Divergence Forex Trading Strategy
The MACD is a simple and effective momentum indicator. Here’s how you can save screen time by programming a MACD divergence strategy for the GBPJPY!
Catch Breakouts With an Inside Bar Trend Strategy!
Inside bars can be a valuable predictor of trend continuation. Here’s how you can program an inside bar, and use it to improve your trend following strategy!
Laguerre RSI Trend Following Strategy
The Laguerre RSI attempts to improve the responsiveness of the regular RSI, whilst keeping whipsaw trades to a minimum. Let’s see how well it detects short-term pullbacks for a trend following strategy!
Bollinger Bands Free Bar Trading Strategy
Bollinger Bands are great at predicting upcoming price reversals. Here’s how you can use its ‘free bars’ to build a reliable Asian scalper!
How to Use the Supertrend Indicator
Despite its cool name, the Supertrend indicator often seems to slip under the radar. Here I explain how it’s calculated, and combine it with moving averages to produce a simple trend following strategy.
5 Easy Trailing Stops to Boost Your Trend Following Results
Trailing stops are a popular feature in trend following strategies. They provide downside protection and allow you to ride the big trends. Try out these simple yet effective trailing stops for your next trend strategy!
Ichimoku Trend Following Strategy
Like candlesticks, the Ichimoku indicator is a fine Japanese creation. Here I’ll explain how the Ichimoku is plotted, and use it to build a trend following strategy for the USDJPY.
Forex Trading With Volume – Does It Work?
Volume is seldom discussed in forex trading. But as a stock trader would tell you, volume provides insights into the underlying market sentiment. Here I’ll demonstrate the use of two simple volume filters to improve entry reliability.
What Is the Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average?
The Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average is a unique indicator that automatically adapts to the market’s noise. Here I explain its inner workings and show you how to build a trend following strategy around it.
Awesome Oscillator Forex Trend Strategy
The Awesome Oscillator is one of Bill Williams’ fine creations. It is a simple yet effective momentum indicator that can be a valuable addition to your strategy. Here we’ll use it together with a moving average to fine-tune our trend following entries.
Dual CCI Indicator Forex Trend Strategy
The Commodity Channel Index (CCI) is an underrated momentum indicator that is often overshadowed by the RSI and MACD. I’ll show you how to build a simple trend following strategy using a pair of CCI indicators!
What is Fixed Ratio Money Management?
Have you heard of fixed ratio money management? How does it compare to the popular fixed fractional approach? Here I’ll explain how fixed ratio works, and see how it stacks up against fixed fractional money management.
What Is the Kaufman Efficiency Ratio?
Avoiding false breakouts is a common goal among trend traders. The Kaufman Efficiency Ratio provides a simple method of quantifying a market’s noise, helping traders focus on the smoothest trends. Let’s add the efficiency ratio to a simple trend following strategy and see whether its performance improves.
What Is the QQE Indicator?
The QQE is a mysterious indicator that sometimes pops up in trading forums. Does it deserve a place alongside the more traditional momentum indicators like the RSI and CCI? Let’s add it to a trend following strategy to find out!
Do Bollinger Bands + Candlestick Patterns Work?
Bollinger Bands are great at detecting overbought and oversold conditions. Let’s use them to develop a countertrend strategy, and then refine our entries using limit entries and candlestick patterns.
How Good Are The Bollinger Bands’ Trailing Stops?
Trailing stop losses are a popular feature in many trend following systems. Bollinger Bands, the ever-popular technical indicator among retail traders, actually contain two inbuilt trailing stops. Are these any good? Let’s find out!
Bollinger Bands vs. Keltner Channels
Bollinger Bands are ubiquitous in the trading world, but there’s less discussion about their lesser-known cousin, the Keltner Channels. Do these perform as well as the Bollinger Bands? Let’s compare them over a broad range of input parameters.
Strategy Development
Book Review: Building Winning Algorithmic Trading Systems
Serious traders invest in quality education. Should you read “Building Winning Algorithmic Trading Systems” by Kevin Davey?
Trade Slippage: How Can You Simulate and Minimize It?
Are you a victim of excessive trade slippage? Here’s how you can minimize slippage, and more realistically simulate it in your backtests!
Edge Ratio: A Unique Way to Quantify Entry Profitability
Selecting a profitable entry is a critical step in strategy development. Here I’ll demonstrate how to use the Edge Ratio to maximize your profit potential.
Do You Know Your System Quality Number?
The System Quality Number measures the profitability & consistency of your trading system. Here’s how to calculate your SQN and use it to improve your trading!
Using Maximum Adverse Excursion for Stop Loss Placement
A catastrophic stop loss is a vital risk management tool for many traders. Here I’ll show you how to optimize your stop loss distance using maximum adverse excursion.
Multiple Timeframe Backtesting – A Quick Robustness Test
Multiple timeframe backtesting can be a valuable addition to your strategy development workflow. Here I explain why you should do it, and how to conveniently do it in MT4 and StrategyQuant.
How to Get a Realistic Backtest Spread
Your choice of backtest spread can certainly make or break a strategy. This post will show you how to study the intraday spread variations of your market, and suggest several ways to avoid paying ridiculous spreads.
What’s Your Risk of Ruin? (Use this FREE Spreadsheet!)
Risk of ruin is a useful metric to help develop trading strategies that suit your risk appetite. This post explains how to calculate your risk of ruin, and how to use it to improve your trading!
Do You Know Your Strategy’s Optimization Profile?
Your strategy’s optimization profile often reveals its robustness, helping you select strategies that will remain profitable in live trading. Here I explain why an optimization profile is important, and how you can easily obtain one using StrategyQuant’s optimizer.
Which MT4 Backtest Report Metrics Should You Use?
Understanding your backtest report is an essential part of being a successful strategy developer. Here I explain what the numbers mean, and how you can make use of each metric during strategy development.
Out-of-sample Testing Using Monte Carlo Simulations
Traders often use Monte Carlo simulations to estimate worst-case drawdowns, but did you know they can be used for out-of-sample testing too? This post demonstrates the use of StrategyQuant’s Monte Carlo simulator to randomize historical prices and strategy parameters, helping you select robust strategies for live trading.
How Many Trades Should Your Backtest Have?
We all want a large sample of trades in our backtests, but practical limitations such as data availability often get in the way. Here I’ll explain why 30 trades is insufficient, and how you can use standard error to quantify the uncertainty arising from a small sample size.
Which Forex Markets Are the Best for Trend Following?
They say the trend is your friend, but how do you find your friends in the forex jungle? This post shows you how to use the ADX indicator to identify forex markets and timeframes that trend well.
Build a Diversified Portfolio With QuantAnalyzer
The ability to efficiently trade a diversified portfolio of strategies is one of the biggest advantages of algorithmic trading. Here we will use QuantAnalyzer’s Portfolio Master to build a portfolio consisting of high performing, uncorrelated strategies.
Strategy Optimization Using MT4
How do you improve your trading strategy in MT4? This post will show you how to optimize the entry and exit parameters for a moving average crossover strategy. Finally, an intraday time filter will be added to help avoid false breakouts.
Debugging & Backtesting Using MT4
With a fresh algorithm at your fingertips, how do you verify that it has been programmed correctly? This guide will show you how to use Metatrader 4’s visual backtester to debug and backtest your strategy.
Create Your Trading Algorithm in 15 Minutes (FREE)
Converting your trading idea into an algorithm is the first step towards reaping the benefits of automated trading. This guide will cover the creation of a simple moving average crossover algorithm, without any actual programming.
What Is Drawdown in Trading?
Are you getting a comprehensive assessment of your strategy’s downside? This post will discuss several methods to measure drawdowns, helping you build and select strategies that better suit your risk appetite.
How to Select the Best Trading Strategy Entry
With an abundance of technical indicators available, selecting your strategy’s entry conditions can be overwhelming. This post will illustrate a method to graphically compare the profitability of different entries.
Live Trading
Who Are the Major Players in the Forex Market?
With its daily turnover of over $6 trillion, who are the major players in the forex market? Let’s see how retail traders stack up!
US Nonfarm Payrolls: What’s Considered a Big Miss?
A big miss in the US nonfarm payrolls can wreak havoc in the markets. What’s considered a big miss? I analyze historical values to find out!
What’s the Best Time to Trade Forex?
The forex markets are open 24/5, but not all hours are created equal. Here I dissect my broker data to determine the best time to trade forex.
What is Considered Good Trading Performance?
Are you taking too much risk for too little return? Perhaps the professional hedge funds can help define good trading performance.
5 Forex Day Trading Challenges & How to Overcome Them
Forex day trading seems to have a particular appeal to new traders. Here I highlight five hidden challenges of day trading, and offer some suggestions on how to overcome them.
How to Find a Real Trading Guru
Every day I come across a trading guru offering educational content on the internet. Many of them speak of huge returns with minimal effort. Should these be trusted? Here’s some tips on how to separate the wheat from the chaff.
How to Enjoy Stress-Free Trading
Trading is a great way to make some additional income, but not if you’re constantly pulling your hair out. Here I offer 7 tips to help make your trading profitable and stress-free.
How to Select the Best Forex VPS
A virtual private server (VPS) is a virtual computer that you can rent and access remotely. It provides a reliable platform on which to execute your forex strategies. This post will help you decide whether you need a VPS, and show you how to select an optimal VPS.
