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It's one of my 2019 goals to automate my trading. In theory it sounds simple if your trading style is purely mechanical. In reality, handling as many possible situations takes time and testing.
One thing automation can do for you is to help you determine if your system is actually mechanical or is there some level of discretionary that you don't realize you are adding into each trade. It can really help you find the weaknesses in your system.
No way. Well at least in my current stage of development
I'm still very much in the learning phase, and have seen some success, but I feel like I am deep in the stage of understanding WHY my particular style is working for me, and what the drawbacks are.
It is my hope that I can improve upon on the former, and whittle down the latter as we go... that said, I truly enjoy the sheer engagement of the market from a personal level which is probably why my style is so discretionary.
There may be a day I'd like to automate something to have it working in the background, but as it is I don't currently foresee a time where I would want to go all the way. @Big Mike, great poll! Run it again in five years and we'll see
Yes for sure, if I thought it was possible - but I am realistic and experienced enough to know that the discretionary elements are too context specific to bother going down that road - really don't want to spend either the rest of my life or the rest of my money attempting that project. The compromise would be something that I could turn on and off depending on the context....that might be on the cards at some point depending on how things go.
Of course I would. Then I would just sit back and let the bot make me money, while I didn't have to anything....
Nice work if you can get it.
I don't know if I could, though, which is the problem. I think it is likely that the "discretionary" part of trading, as I understand it, is not something that can be done without. On the other hand, I wouldn't have said that anyone would ever be able to automate driving a car, and there have been some pretty good efforts at that (but note: as of right now, there's no actual commercially viable solution, so the jury is still out.)
So I don't know the answer to the question of whether it is or will ever be possible. But sure, I would be happy to do it if I could. The question is whether you can anticipate all the many possible changes that markets may and will go through in the future, which I think you would need to do.... and my current answer is "Nope, not something I can see doing." Unfortunately.
However, I also know that to take 'everything' I have learned it the years of trading would be difficult to program.
(Not impossible but not worth the effort, IMO)
I created a strategy that is flexible.
It can be set to be fully automated taking trades, setting stops and targets.
But I still have full control and can change stops, targets and exits at any time.
As a programmer with years of experience, I still do not fully trust computers to do a better job that I can so I never let it run without me sitting at the trading desk.
Rejoice in the Thunderstorms of Life . . .
Knowing it's not about Clouds or Wind. . .
But Learning to Dance in the Rain ! ! !
Always have the Knight Capital Fiasco in back of mind when running live auto and i struggle to not overview / watch carefully any auto running . At this stage i still havent built the trust of live auto enough to do any normal size , Still live testing on minimal size but working at building the trust . On daily EOD algos no need to live trade it , just use alerts to trigger manual trades . Auto will only really be helpful intraday daytrading for me . Will get there in end .
As far as "Not impossible but not worth the effort " i cant say i agree with that . Clearly extremely difficult to 100% contextualize but if you can get >75% nailed down you on the path to the grail and yeah i believe that exists . Renaisance Medallion fund has done it so its doable .
The system I would automate would only work on the Weekly time frame or higher.
But for now I am content just doing things manually. But; semi-automation is very attractive to me right now.