20min.
Dr. Long provides some basic instructions on using a screening tool to find system setups. More operating information can be found below.
Note on the Bonus Excel Spreadsheets –
Provided with Part I and Part II of the course, you’ll find a “Bonus” spreadsheet. The version provided in Part I relates to the Channeling and Overreaction systems and the version for Part II of the course relates to all five systems. The spreadsheet is not required for executing any of the trading systems taught but is an educational example of how automated screening processes for the systems might function. They show how the screening process might work for a selection of liquid ETFs and large cap stocks.
To operate this spreadsheet, you will need to know Microsoft Excel at an advanced beginner or intermediate user level. If you have no working knowledge of Excel, you may want to pursue some Excel training before attempting to use it. This spreadsheet requires MS Excel 2010 or later and a plug-in program called XLQ. You can download a 30 day free trial version of XLQ from www.qmatix.com. XLQ automates the process of downloading free price data into Excel spreadsheets. If you would like to use XLQ after the free trial, purchase the XLQPlus version and enter the promotion code “IITM” at checkout for a $25 discount. Note: Neither the Van Tharp Institute nor Tortoise Capital Management benefits directly from any sales of XLQPlus nor is there any financial relationship between the companies.
As this spreadsheet is bonus material and is not required for the course or for executing the systems, the spreadsheet is not supported by the Van Tharp Institute. Van Tharp Institute staff members are trained neither in Excel nor in XLQ and they have no knowledge of the workings of this spreadsheet. If you call the Van Tharp Institute with Excel questions, the staff will be happy to speak with you but they are simply unable to help with technical questions. Again, this spreadsheet is not required for executing any of the systems, it demonstrates how the setup screening process can be made easier with some automation. You are free to examine the spreadsheet or use it and modify it as much as you like. Before doing any of that, however, you probably want to save somewhere safe a “gold” copy of the downloaded Excel file to which you make no changes. Save any modification under a new filename so that you maintain the “gold” copy in its original downloaded format.
Like any tool or piece of equipment, this spreadsheet requires regular maintenance. Over time, providers will no longer offer particular ETFs, new and better ETFs will come to the market, the Dow components change, Yahoo will alter the way the provide certain data, etc. You are responsible for maintaining the contents of this spreadsheet. There is no custom programming or black box operating in the background, all operations in this spreadsheet use standard Excel and XLQ functionality.
While the spreadsheet functions today to identify setups for the individual systems, it will stop working at some point due to any number of changes. Changes that: Microsoft may make in Excel, Qmatix may make in XLQ, data providers may make in their services, and that other parties may make in other technical areas required for the functioning of the spreadsheet. The Van Tharp Institute will not troubleshoot technical difficulties or update the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is provided as-is.
Technical Note: The spreadsheet will not function in Excel for Mac (Apple OS X) nor will it function on an iPad