Line Your Own Pockets

Dave continues helping Michael create a first backtest in Amibroker. You might think "backtesting is backtesting," but we cover many of the differences between RealTest and Amibroker, as well as their implications.We discuss:What makes AI so bad at generating good AFL code for a backtest in AmibrokerThe better you get at understanding how AFL works, the better your use of AI getsHow a column library makes all the difference in creating P&LQuick backtests can promote bad habitsAnd much more...Dave also announces the new MabeKit AFL Generator tool. ---Before you go!The next time you find yourself in a drawdown, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to betterbacktesting.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!

Dave offers advice and feedback to Michael, who is learning to use Amibroker for the first time.He's coming from RealTest, so we go over the similarities and differences between the two platforms.We discuss:How RealTest is great for daily data, but hits a wall for most intraday trading strategiesAmibroker is not just a backtester; it’s a full charting, analysis, and execution environment.Backfilling with IQFeed versus Polygon (there is really no contest)Best practices for databases in AmibrokerMuch more... ---Before you go!The next time you find yourself in a drawdown, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to betterbacktesting.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!

We discuss the actual nuts and bolts of what running your trading like a franchise means:Systematize everythingA process for eliminating low-value workWhat makes sense to outsource and what you should keep in-houseMake your trading survive without youAnd much more... ---Before you go!The next time you find yourself in a drawdown, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to betterbacktesting.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!

As traders gain experience, the problem shifts from not having enough ideas to having too many ideas competing for limited time and mental energy. Without a system, this abundance quickly becomes overwhelming and leads to paralysis or procrastination.We discuss the ICE method - a simple scoring method to determine which ideas to work on first.Spreadsheet Link https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iWG87jZ7KiANQzH9O8KwgtRRl5Wcd60Q/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=112987133391354450813&rtpof=true&sd=true ---Before you go!The next time you find yourself in a drawdown, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to betterbacktesting.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!

In this week's episode of Line Your Own Pockets, we take on a topic submitted by Isaac, a trader I work with.We discuss:When timing/speed matters and when it doesn'tThe types of trading strategies where latency is likely the bottleneckHow rushing to solve problems can be counter-productive (waiting can reveal simpler solutions)Concrete steps to determine if latency is really an issue and how to address itAnd much more... ---Before you go!The next time you find yourself in a drawdown, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to betterbacktesting.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!

We butt heads in this episode, arguing about the value of portfolio-level backtesting, one of the key feature differences between RealTest and Amibroker.Is portfolio-level testing essential, or simply premature optimization? ---Before you go!The next time you find yourself in a drawdown, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to betterbacktesting.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!

We discuss:How to optimize so you have to re-optimize as little as possibleHow better columns directly translate into more robust strategiesHold a rule "in reserve" so you can apply it when needed without full re-optimizationDocumenting previous optimization decisions will make the next strategy betterAnd much more... ---Before you go!The next time you find yourself in a drawdown, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to betterbacktesting.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!

The discussion dives into the psychological comfort behind moving stops to breakeven and its potential pitfalls. Traders often act out of pain avoidance, which can lead to unprofitable decisions. Testing stop-moving strategies reveals added complexity that can destabilize trading systems. The hosts advocate for taking smaller trades to minimize emotional burden and highlight the benefits of predefined exit plans. They also explore using trailing stops as a less complex alternative to enhance trading strategies.

You didn't get a fill on your original entry.  The trade would have been profitable for a bit, then it comes back to your original entry price.  Do you take the trade?  We go in-depth, answering this common dilemma.Your default should be to take the trade if it still matches your systemThere's more information to decide on - what can you add to your backtest?What are post-entry columns, and how can they help?How deep thinking about the issue can help you create brand new strategiesHere's the original article Dave wrote on this topic. ---Before you go!The next time you find yourself in a drawdown, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to betterbacktesting.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!