FAQ

 

CodeForTraders Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1.  How much money can I expect to make trading if I buy product X?

A1.  Gee, how good are you? How well do you know your platform? How well do you know your market and timeframe? How much experience do you have running and analyzing backtests? How skilled of a trader are you? How much risk do you plan to take? How strong is your discipline? Tools don't make you money, YOU make you money (by skillfully using tools). Two different people using the very same tool(s) can have wildly different equity outcomes. Because of this, CFT cannot quote you a trading profit expectation to be associated with any of our tools.

Q2.  Should I automate my trading?

A2.  Maybe. It is true that automation, successfully implemented, can help a trader avoid some common discretionary emotional trading mistakes. Automation, when it works, can help a trader to take every entry signal, take timely profits before they vanish, and honor stop-losses consistently. However, the path of trading with automation is path all its own, with its own problems and pitfalls and its own unique procedures and required skills. It is still the trader who must ensure that everything is working, day-in and day-out, and the trader who must deal with each and every "glitch" as it arises.

That said, the automation capabilities available today to the retail trader are better than ever, and definitely good enough to be used consistently for the successful automation of a trading campaign over time.

Q3.  Can CFT coach/mentor/instruct/support me on setup and maintenance of automated trading on my platform?

A3.  No. The best support for automation comes from a) your platform's support staff, and b) other users in your platform's Forum, and c) your local user's group (if you have one). There is actually a wealth of good support information available, but it can require a bit of searching to turn it up.

Q4.  Can you send me a performance report for Product X on Market Y?

A4.  No. Everyone is interested in a different market, timeframe, and way to configure the product. The demands of trading and development mean that time is simply not available to accommodate this form of pre-sales request for everyone who would wish it.

CFT is a coding service, not a testing service. If we did custom testing for you, we'd have to charge for it at the same hourly rate as for programming. After just a short period of testing, you would have paid the cost of the product (and yet received only a test result!).

Q5.  Can't you make an exception for me? (I'd really like to buy X, but I have to see a performance report first.)

A5.  Unfortunately, no. Our products are not priced to compensate for the time it would take to do a "custom sales pitch" for every interested party. If CFT were to accommodate some such requests and not others, then we would not be doing business on a consistent, fair and equitable basis with everyone.

Q6.  Can't I see test results anywhere?

A6.  On a time-available basis, test results are occasionally posted in the CFT Forum (where they are equally available to all). Check the Research section, or the Forum topic for the product of interest. If you don't see test results on the site, you'll have to make your purchase decision without them, sorry!

Q7.  Why should I buy code from you if you can't promise profits?

A7.  You buy code to save yourself the time you'd otherwise have to spend to write it yourself.

If you are interested enough in a trading concept to want to see a model of that concept as applied to past data, then you must either write or buy code implementing that concept, and then use that code to do backtests.

If there is a calculation or indication that you want to see in real-time, then again you must either write or buy code implementing that concept.

If you'd rather write than buy, you'll be investing time rather than money. If your time has a small value, or just happens to be in high supply, this is the way to go.

If you'd rather buy than write, CFT has you covered (for very reasonable fees).

TANSTAAFL. Your time or your money - that's always the choice!

Also, in the case of source-code products, there are several more good reasons to buy code.

a) to see now something was done
b) to learn new techniques of coding and code organization
c) to be able to alter or extend the provided code whenever desired
d) to serve as a baseline for further custom programming work

Q8.  How are prices for CFT products arrived at?

A8.  It's the CFT business model to offer product code at a deep discount to the time involved in creating it. It's not untypical for the result of weeks of skilled work to be offered for only a few hundred dollars. The difference between a product and a custom job is that a product can be sold multiple times and a custom job can only be sold once. All CFT's products offer you the benefit of a low price based on the presumption that multiple sales will ultimately provide a reasonable compensation to the creator over the lifetime of the product.

Q9.  Can you give me a personal discount?

A9.  No. The products are all pre-discounted already! Seriously. CFT code products offer outstanding value at the posted prices. If you want a product that CFT offers, it is more than worth what is being asked for it. CFT product prices are always as-posted, the same for everyone.

Q10.  $XX still seems like alot to me.

A10.  OK, that's not a question, but here's an answer anyway. On any single trade, you can easily lose more in the market than the cost of any of our products. As they say, "You think education is expensive? Try ignorance!". Without knowledge and skill, the market will take your money and give you nothing in return. CFT, on the other hand, provides you highly crafted tools in return for your payment. Tools at a deep discount. Tools you can use again and again. Tools that will help you be less ignorant and more knowledgeable. It's a mark of maturity to learn how not to be penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Q11.  Can you make me a deal?

A11.  CFT offers a different deal most months in our Monthly Special section. Here you'll find the deepest of the deep discounts, as deep as it gets! We change it regularly because we want you to stay interested and pay attention. Check back each month for a new deal.

Q12.  Can you send me recent screenshots for Product X on Market Y?

A12.  Unfortunately, no.  The same considerations apply to custom screenshots as to custom test results.  The demands of trading and development mean that time is simply not available to accommodate this form of pre-sales request.

Q13.  What is a defined-use commercial license?

A13.  Hedge funds, registered investment advisors, private trading consortiums, and certain other entities trading OPM (other people's money) in pooled or separate accounts require a commercial license for their usage of CFT software because such usage is beyond the scope of a personal-use license.  A defined-use commercial license is a license which is custom-written to accommodate the particular software usage needs of a specific entity, enabling that entity to legally use the software for their desired purposes.

Q14.  Can I, as an individual, buy a source-code/commercial-license package?

A14.  Yes, if you can afford it.

Q15.  Is there a middle ground, price-wise, between the "retail" closed-code personal-use license and an open-code/commercial-license package?

A15.  Basically, no.  For those products which have been presented with these two options available, the possibilities have already been considered and decided upon.  Where presented with pricing info, source-code/commercial-license packages are priced as if accommodating either a source-code need or a commercial license need.  Those who would have both needs fulfilled by such a package are getting a two-fer combination deal!