Of four responses you appear to have received four entirely useless responses. I'm not sure how much my advice is worth, but here it is: I do not recommend moving averages or anything based on moving averages -- what you are looking for is a band pass filter -- however, having said that, if your system is working for you that's all that matters. I would strongly recommend betting far, far smaller than your account size. Do not use margin. You may wish to read up on asset allocation and portfolio management strategies. This way in the unlikely even that your system goes south you do not extinguish your account. This takes discipline, doubly so when you see what you could have made. Plot a graph of the optimal-f or Sortino ratio for each trade made to verify that your system is profitable over time. Automate your system so that it is consistently applied, definable, and measurable.
Big Dave, Thanks for the info and the constructive response. And especially thanks for the concern. FWIW, I'm only using "play money", and I am using ETFs with stops. Not actually margining the account, though I am using leverage. I got stopped out today, which is OK, considering that yesterday was a gravy day (I was long). I think I set my stop too high, which was a freshman mistake, but hey...I made some money and had some fun. First time I've ever used a stop because, to be honest with you, I've never had an on-line account before. I have back-tested my plan and incorporated fund settling time. I thought about dividing my funds in half so I'd always have money ready for going long or shorting in a cycle, but I figured out that I'm better off just playing all of it at once. You mentioned MA, and I'm seeing a lot of controversy on the moving average, which is interesting as I definitely use it in my system. In defense of MA, part of my system involves selecting the right MA and the right ETFs, rather than just applying it with a broad brush. So I look for certain behaviors. Its interesting stuff! I don't think I can automate my system, because I lack the knowhow and quite honestly, I'm having a hell of lot of fun at this. I plan to keep refining what I have and use Stops liberally. Today I figured out a few things to add to my back testing. And you just gave me a pile more. Thanks so much for the advice, SM