Many times the only thing preventing a good system from working is the users unwillingness to actually let the program do what it is supposed to do. If you go to the CoolTrade website and click on the "strategies" link, it will show 5 top long strategies and 5 top short strategies, each making about 4% a month return. The only reason they get those returns is because they actually let the strategy run (through good times and bad). The problem with many people running the same strategies is that they will see a couple days where the market goes against them, and then they throw the strategy away because they think it does not work. However these same individuals will buy a mutual fund and sit on it for years as it vaporizes 1/2 of their account value. A long strategy positions itself while the market is down, in preparation for the rebound. Unfortunately many people panic during this period and end up closing all of the positions at a loss. I have heard people say they closed all of their positions at the bottom of the market, with plan to get back in after the market recovers. So I guess their plan is to jump back in at the top of the market and ride it back down again. Ed