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Forex System Design

Creating Your First Trading System – Part 1

Introduction

In our previous articles, we presented the introductory concepts to design, create, test, optimize, and evaluate a trading system. In this section, we will be using a practical example of the development process of a trading system.

Starting to Build the Trading System

In his work, Robert Pardo exposes a seven-step methodology that must be followed to develop a trading system. These steps are as follows:

  1. Formulate the trading strategy.
  2. Write the rules in a precise form.
  3. Test the trading strategy.
  4. Optimize the trading strategy.
  5. Trade the strategy.
  6. Monitor the trading performance and compare it to test performance.
  7. Improve and refine the trading strategy.

Picking a Trading Strategy

A trading system starts with an investment idea that could arise from a publication in a specialized trading site or another related source. In our case under study, we are going to develop a trading strategy based on the Turtle Traders. 

Our reader must consider that the process applies to any other strategy.

The Turtle Trading System Rules

The Turtle System uses the following set of rules:

  • Timeframe: Daily range.
  • Entry:
  • Richard Dennis defined two systems; the first one corresponds to a short-term strategy considering the 20-day breakout. In parallel, He added a long-term system using the 55-day breakout. In our system, we will be conservative and use the long-term strategy based on the 55-day breakout.
  • Stop Loss: The stop loss should be placed a the distance corresponding to one time the Average True Range (ATR) of the 20 days.
  • Exit: The system developed by Richard Dennis doesn’t consider a specific take-profit level as it happens with some chartist patterns. Instead, Dennis defines the exit criterion after the price moves against the position for a 10-day and a 20-day breakout. For long positions, the exit will be a 20-day low, and for short positions will correspond to 20-day high. However, to simplify our system, we will consider a profit target level at one  20-day Average True Range distance (1 20-ATR).
  • Position Size: The size will correspond to 1% of the capital available in the trading account.
  • Adding Positions: For educational purposes, we will not consider increasing the positioning criterion.

Charting the Turtle Trading System

As a way to visualize what our first version of the trading system should do, we will illustrate the strategy on a chart for both long and short positions.

In the previous figure, we can observe the set of rules for the entry, stop-loss, and profit-target.  The rule of position sizing will correspond to 1% of capital in the trading account.

Conclusions

In this first part, we identified a trading strategy and specified a set of rules corresponding to what the system should do. In the next educational article, we will start to transform the ideas into a set of instructions.

Suggested Readings

  • Jaekle, U., Tomasini, E.; Trading Systems: A New Approach to System Development and Portfolio Optimisation; Harriman House Ltd.; 1st Edition (2009).
  • Pardo, R.; Design, Testing, and Optimization of Trading Systems; John Wiley & Sons; 1st Edition (1992).
  • Faith, C. M.; Way of the Turtle. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1st Edition (2007).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusions

 

Suggested Readings

  • Jaekle, U., Tomasini, E.; Trading Systems: A New Approach to System Development and Portfolio Optimisation; Harriman House Ltd.; 1st Edition (2009).
Categories
Forex Basic Strategies Forex Swing Trading

How To Trade The Infamous Turtle Soup Strategy?

In this article, we shall be covering the Turtle soup strategy by fading the Donchian channel, and Connor’s RSI strategy.

What is the Donchian Channel indicator?

The Donchian channel is an indicator that considers the high and low for N number of periods. For this particular Turtle Soup strategy, we will be setting the value of N=20, which accounts for the most recent 20 days.

This indicator works based on the highs and lows made by the market. The channel makes a stair-stepping pattern for every high or low made in a period of 20 days.

Below is a chart that shows the Donchian indicator applied to it.

From the above chart, we can clearly see that the top and bottom lines (blue lines) are moving in the form of a stair-stepping pattern representing the highs and lows over the past 20 days. Precisely, the black arrows represent the highs and lows in a look back of 20 days.

Trading the Turtle Soup Strategy

The Turtle Soup is a strategy developed by a trader and author Linda Bradford-Raschke. She published this strategy in one of her books named “Street Smarts: High Probability Short-Term Trading Strategies.” Talking about history, this strategy was taught to a set of novice traders (called the Turtles) by Richard Dennis and William Eckhardt in the 1980s. Also, this strategy is in reference to a well-known strategy called ‘Turtle Trading.’ Over the years, Linda Bradford-Raschke inverted the logic and reasoning behind this strategy and came up with a short-term trading method using this strategy.

Strategy 1: Adding confirmation to Donchian Channel breakout

This is the typical Turtle strategy.

The Turtle strategy using the Donchian channel is simple. When the market breaks above the resistance line, we can prepare to go long. Similarly, when the market goes below the support line, we can go short.

Here are some of the tips and tricks for using this indicator.

  • When the market breaks above/below the lines, make sure that the price is holding above/below it.
  • The candle that breaks the line must be quite strong.

Trading Example

Consider the below figure. Reading from the left, we can see that the market was holding at the upper line of the channel. Later, a huge green candle broke above the channel. Many would hit a buy at this moment, but we wait for a confirmation. When another candle shows a bullish sentiment as well, we can hit the buy at the point shown on the chart.

According to the original Turtle trading strategy, a stop loss of ‘two volatile units is kept,’ which is equal to n-period ATR x 2.

However, to keep it simple, you can keep the stop loss a few pips below the candle, which broke the channel.

Let’s do the converse

In the above example, we saw the typical way of trading the Turtle strategy. In this set of examples, we shall reverse the logic. That is, we will look to go long when the price breaks below the channel and short when the price breaks above the channel. Let’s consider a few examples for the same.

Buy strategy

Let’s say the market makes a 20 day low and is visible on the Donchian channel. Later, the price comes down to that low and even tries to break below it. Once the price shoots right back up to the line, we anticipate on the buy.

Rules:

  • The new 20 day low must be at least four days apart from the previous 20 day low. So, you cannot compare the low of yesterday and the low of today as the difference is just one day apart.
  • Entry must be 5-10 pips above the previous 20 day low.
  • Stop loss must be placed 1-2 pips below the low of today.
  • Aim for a take profit of 1R.

Sell strategy

The sell strategy is just the opposite of the strategy discussed for a buy. When a 20 day high is challenged for the second time having a gap of at least four days from the previous low, we can look to go short.

Rules:

  • The 20 day high must be at least four days in the past.
  • Entry must be placed 5-10 pips below the 20 day low.
  • Stop loss must be placed 1-2 pip of today’s low.
  • Aim for a take profit of 1R.

Trading examples

Buy example

Below is the chart of the EUR/USD on the Daily timeframe. Starting from the left, we can see that the market came down and made a 20 day low (indicated by the black dotted line). Now that we have the first low, we wait for the price to down to that low in more than four candles (days). And when the price spikes below the prior low and comes back up, we can hit the buy at the encircled region.

As far as the stop loss and take profit is concerned, we can keep a stop loss 2-4 pips below the low of the present candle and aim for a good 1:1 RR on this trade.

Sell example

In the below chart, the market made a 20 day high up to the black dotted line. Later, the price goes above the previous 20 days high yet again. Here, the price holds above the line and then drops below the next candle. So, once it’s below by 5-10 pips from the previous 20 days high, we can go short. And the stop loss and take profit are self-explanatory.

Conclusion

With no disrespect to the turtle trading strategy, we can conclude that this strategy can be used in both ways. This strategy is backtested and proven by a number of experienced traders. Try this strategy in your trading activities and let us know if you have any questions in the comments below. Happy Trading!