I have not yet done any “algorithmic trading” however I believe that I have devised a set of rules to give me an advantage in a particular market. By having you test and complete a report on my concept, will you be able to give me a good idea whether or not I’ll make money with quant trading?

We will analyze your concept in a variety of ways. One way to analyze a concept is to perform a series of tests. After our analysis we should be able to give you our expert opinion on your submitted concept. You will receive a report with the information generated from this analysis and any tests and our commentary regarding the results. There are no perfect answers regarding predicting outcomes in live trading. You will be able to understand our clear expert opinion on the potential viability of your concept from the information in the report only to then decide for yourself whether to embark on trading the system.

Your research reports have nothing to do with actual live trading! Why do you think you can advise anyone on how the market will respond to a trading system from simply analyzing and backtesting a concept?

We give you a report after looking at your concept in a variety of ways. No amount of testing can entirely determine that a concept will be profitable.A useful way to try to predict future performance of a set of rules may be to analyze how it might have done in the past with various sample data sets while using a variety of assumptions, however there is much, much more to analysis than backtesting (which in and of itself is also fraught with potential biases, pitfalls, and over-analysis).We don’t advise on how we believe it will perform while trading in the live markets. The risk of deciding to trade a concept, even after our analysis of the concept is complete, is left solely to you.

Why would I submit my concept to you? Wouldn't sharing a unique algorithmic trading concept with you diminish or even eliminate my concept’s validity?

Of course any observed advantage in the markets can evaporate with the occurrence of too many participants trying to realize that same advantage. Should we wish to use or recommend the concept, we would typically either: 1. Alter the strategy substantially enough to create an entirely new trading program with minimal impact on a system trading from the original concept that showed merit, or 2. Apply portions of the concept within an entirely different market that we study. Both solutions serve to try and eliminate this problem.

Can you get me set up to do live trading if your report shows my concept has merit?

We have a lot of contacts that have software capabilities to trade most concepts we’ve seen. We will share any of them with you that apply to help you see a clearer path to actually trading your strategy in the live market if you choose to do so.

Can I discuss the research report and your recommendations for live trading partners more extensively over the phone?

Since launching this service, we have had such an overwhelming response that we are spending most of our time researching concepts and writing reports. Therefore, we are not prepared or equipped to offer any communication outside our written reports unless we reach out to you for further clarification and/or correspondence. The report should be comprehensive enough to share our complete thoughts with you regarding our initial view of the potential viability of your concept.

Do you provide any other services for people who submit a concept (e.g. partnering, consulting, etc.)?

In the past, we have partnered with individuals to form trading entities, and are always open for this possibility. In the future, we may decide to expand our services into consulting or endorsing software or data services. Until then, and since we have very minimal staff, we cannot offer any other official services as we focus on our research.

Which markets do you research?

We can currently offer our reports for most futures, commodities, and forex markets. We are currently working on capabilities for options market analysis although at this time we do not yet include options in our report offering.

Do you have a limit regarding the number of trading algorithm concepts I can submit to you?

Please be respectful of our process and the time we take to give you a thoughtful report. If you feel you have multiple quality concepts, please submit them all to us!

How long will it take me to complete the concept submission form?

Depending on the concept strategy and its associated nuance, the submission takes between just 5 minutes to perhaps up to 20 minutes. The actual ‘Concept Entry’ portion spans a dozen fields. We offer the ability to upload files for additional description for several portions of your submission which can include sketches, more in-depth descriptions, spreadsheets, etc.

What is the turnaround time from submission until you send me a report?

Typical turnaround is 1-2 weeks. Turnaround time depends on the number of algo trading concept inquiries we are fielding at the time, and occasionally it is longer than usual. We reserve the right to reject report creation for any concept submission received for any reason.