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Thursday, December 17, 2009

Taking A Look At An ETF Trading System

By Patrick Deaton

One of the biggest problems that most people have with ETF trading systems is that they seem very abstract. Most of the reading that is done about systems is from a marketer selling a system. Some subscription services offer alerts, training, information, etc., to make using a trading system easier. But, they really don't tell you what the trading system is or how it became the "valuable" tool that it is.

The terms "trading system" and "trading strategy" mean two different things. These terms are often interchanged by individuals who are not clear on the difference and have not been involved in ETF trading. When reading advertising by someone who says they "know" ETF trading, this is a good indicator of what they actually know.

In it's simplest, uncomplicated definition an ETF trading system are a group of specific rules determining your entry and exit points for your ETF. Those "signal" alerts you hear so much about are actually when the lights on the points indicate it is time to move. In some cases it is when the EMA crosses the SMA or vice versa. The indicators are set by you so that you receive an alert when you will get the most gains from a move in your ETF.

The analytical tools used to set up those rules are pretty ordinary also. The most common tools used are the Stochastic, Oscillators, Bollinger Bands, Relative Strength, and Moving Averages. The details and information that these programs spit out is called "indicators." When you use at least two indicates from one or more of the tools, you have yourself a system.

The next logical question is what indicators are going to make the most effective system. These is where the expertise of long time traders can be very helpful. The indicators that form the effective system are different for different sectors. This is partly due to the fact that they are used for different sectors and different indicators are more relative to specific sectors.

The time and research needed to create an effective system can be very time consuming. For some people using a pre designed program or service is more cost effective. When a pre designed program or service is used the "rules" or parameters that are used have been identified using another analytical tool that shows what types of indicators are most effective with certain sectors.

Other people prefer to do the necessary up front work to create a system that is effective for them and consistently provides them with the gains that they want. The rules for using a system are very simple. First, whether it has been purchased or created, it must make money. Statistically, when a person has ten negative returns in a row they need to re-evaluate their systems and strategies.

Having a plan in place to reduce risk and limit losses is also important when starting a system. Sticking to the buy and sell limits that the analytical tools have indicated are appropriate will take the personalization out of the trading process and allow a safety net from extreme loss. The system must have stable parameters. Some vectors have very hard to identify patterns, you will want to be aware of the kinds of indicators that appear when there is going to be a drastic reverse. - 23167

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