Auto-Trading with ThinkorSwim
ThinkorSwim (TOS) is the
premier online options and stock broker with a number of unique features not found anywhere else.
One of the features offered by the firm is their
Autotrade
automated online trading program. Autotrading allows traders to have their
investment advisor's recommendations auto-traded, so they never have to
worry about missing a signal. To participate, the investor must open an
account with
ThinkorSwim and become a member of
Peak Investing.
ThinkorSwim receives the trade recommendations directly from
Peak
Investing and then trades those recommendations in the individual's
account. It's the best way to insure that the recommendations are
traded on time and executed properly.
| Broker |
Instructions |
 |
Go to Autotrade Signup
and click on the Open an Account button. After your account has been created, log into the thinkorswim website and visit Autotrade > General Instructions for more information. Once there, choose PeakInvesting as your advisory service. |
For more information, please contact Kurt Christopher at
kurt@thinkorswim.com.
Getting Started with ThinkorSwim Autotrading
Q: Do I sign up for the Bull/Bear Credits or the POI Strategy
with TOS Autotrade and how much of my account do I allocate.
Bull/Bear Credit refers to our Weekly OEX/SPX trade
recommendations. The POI Strategy is our monthly peak open interest
options trade. Since the two don't overlap, you can sign up for
both and allocate the same amount to each. This gives you the
potential for a low-risk options trade every week.
Q: How much money do I need to auto-trade?
Although ThinkorSwim requires a minimum account of $3,500, we
recommend that you have at least $5,000 in your account. Since we
regularly recommend "Weekly" 15 point SPX spreads, it is ideal for
you to have at least $10,000 which would ensure that you can trade
five index spreads each week. However, $10,000 is not required.
Q: How do I configure the auto-trading parameters at
ThinkorSwim?
See "How many contracts are traded for each recommendation?"
Q: How many contracts are traded for each
recommendation?
The number of contracts is determined by multiplying the spread points by 100 and
dividing that into the available funds. For example, if you are trading a 5 point
OEX spread and have $10,000 in available funds, you could trade 20 spread contracts.
For guidelines on what percentage of available funds should be allocated to each trade,
see our discussion on
Risk Management.
All information presented herein is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed.
Except where otherwise specifically stated, all trades are based on
hypothetical or simulated trading. Hypothetical or simulated performance
results have certain inherent limitations. Unlike an actual performance
record, simulated results do not represent actual trading. Also, since
the trades have not actually been executed, the results may have
under-or-over-compensated for the impact, if any, of certain market
factors, such as lack of liquidity. Simulated trading programs in
general are also subject to the fact that they are designed with the
benefit of hindsight. No representation is being made that any account
will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown.
Commissions, fees, and slippage have not been included. This is neither
a solicitation to buy/sell securities or listed options.
Disclaimer: Options trading has large potential risk. You must be
aware of the risks and be willing to accept them in order to invest in
the options markets. Don't trade with money you can't afford to lose.
This is neither a solicitation nor an offer to Buy/Sell options. No
representation is being made that any account will or is likely to
achieve profits or losses similar to those discussed. The past
performance of any trading system or methodology is not necessarily
indicative of future results.