Case Histories
Caroline Smith
Futures Trader

 

 

 

Case Histories: Caroline Smith - Futures Trader

Caroline is a full-time intra-day trader of indices.

What do you like best about the TradeGuider program?

It encompasses many different tools. I’ve got the best of both worlds: - I have extremely good trending systems built in and I also have the volume-based signals, which tend to be contra-trend and good at picking up the turning points. I actually like to use OmniTrader in conjunction with TradeGuider. OmniTrader gives me a number of different scans based on technical indicators, and I can use TradeGuider as a confirmation tool.

TradeGuider saves me time. I’m an experienced trader and can trade in an intuitive, discretionary way, as well as a mechanical way. It’s a flexible piece of kit, so I can use TradeGuider to fulfill both of these roles. I’m not forced into trading in a certain way, it’s up to me and I like that a lot. I like the charts and the general look of the program. The charts are big and clear, which makes it easy to use the program for long periods of time.

How does TradeGuider help you save time in your daily trading?

Well, it helps me to spot opportunities that I might not otherwise see. Trading is quite a monotonous business and I’ve noticed that price moves often occur when you’re not paying attention. TradeGuider alerts me to professional activity by actually talking to me. It will say “weakness detected” or “strength detected.” It’s almost like something from a futuristic science fiction movie! TradeGuider alerts me when there is potential for something and when something is actually happening. For instance, if there is a change in trend, it will tell me. For instance, it might say, “trending up” or “trending down”. I run OmniTrader on one monitor and TradeGuider on another – they work well together. I load up my S&P chart and let the software track the market for any likely professional activity.

How much time do you spend trading each day?

About 4 hours a day. After that I tend to want a rest.

How easy is TradeGuider to use?

Extremely easy! I have a set-up I like to use in OmniTrader to track the 5 minute S&P. I then run my S&P set-up in TradeGuider on an adjacent monitor screen. In TradeGuider, I like to use the pivot points, diamonds, diamond stops, and volume thermometer. I tile my charts in TradeGuider so that I can see both the S&P and derivative E-mini. I then look for volume signals occurring on both charts for confirmation.

What is your trading style?

I’m pretty aggressive - very short term. I like to trade both in a mechanical and discretionary way, depending on how I see the market behaving.

What do you trade?

Just the S&P 500 index and its derivative – the E-mini.

How well have you done with the program?

Most of my trades last half an hour, to a few hours at most. I prefer to make a little money regularly on a lot of trades. Using both OmniTrader and TradeGuider together lets me do this.

Would you recommend this program to a friend?

Yes, I would. The only problem is I don’t have any trading friends. I guess I need to get out more!