Best software?

J

jerry2dt

Hi all,

I did about 300 trades this year, all using an old version of Excel for my trade log/journal/diary and it's getting really cumbersome to use. I'm looking at software called TradingDiaryPro and wonder if anyone here is using it.

If not please give me a headsup about your favs. All facts/opinions will be helpful as I want to start 2014 with better records/analysis than I have now. I use TOS if it matters.

Cheers,

Jerry in OR
 
I use excel, I have a few macros to automate some stuff (one click to enter a new trade).

I'm a huge fan of Excel, been using it since version 1.... if you can't do it in Excel, it's probably not possible....
 
I just did a demo of tradingdiarypro.


It can't import optionhouse data, but with a few edits, it will import as Charles Schwab.

If you have a working import file with options trades. Can you provide us a sample to see how columns and data is formatted? What broker module you are using?
 
At present I'm using ThinkorSwim but have an app in to Interactive Brokers to try them out. All I'm doing is just putting daily data into Excel by hand, not importing. As you can tell, I'm not much of a computer geek. I usually just have one trade on at a time, albeit somewhat large in an index, SPY, QQQ, or other.

I might just give TradingPro a trial to see how it goes. I like to track stats on both sides of a strangle or I Condor such as price, vol, greeks especially Theta, etc...

Cheers and happy trading 2014.

Jerry
 
So far this no trading journal in the market that tracks your Greeks.

I manually track my dollar delta on entries and exits. But the information doesn't seem relevant if I don't:

1) normalize the vertical spread exposures according to gamma.
2) have a meaningful way of comparing my delta neutral/volatility trades to directional trades.

Surely devs are reading this thread. What's taking them so long to bring a product to market? Seems to be the last bastion of marketable trading software.
 
Quote from xandman:

So far this no trading journal in the market that tracks your Greeks.

I manually track my dollar delta on entries and exits. But the information doesn't seem relevant if I don't:

1) normalize the vertical spread exposures according to gamma.
2) have a meaningful way of comparing my delta neutral/volatility trades to directional trades.

Surely devs are reading this thread. What's taking them so long to bring a product to market? Seems to be the last bastion of marketable trading software.
More...

Martinghoul said way back that if you built your own spreadsheets for options, you would not regret it.

You want to track Greeks? Build your own sheets. I didn't study calculus so it is a huge handicap, but I'm fairly handy with Excel and there are lots of free sheets out there that you can breakdown, understand, then rebuild the way you want them.

I'm not going to pretend it's easy, but the end result is worth the effort.

BTW, I don't get the bit about comparing your delta neutral trades to directional trades.
 
Quote from justrading:

BTW, I don't get the bit about comparing your delta neutral trades to directional trades. [/B]
More...

Just a way to compare various strategies. The underlying strategy or framework for the trade is important for me to categorize for evaluation. Then I can categorize the trades, check for correlations, tweak sizing etc. So, it's a diversification of methods as opposed to asset class exposure.

It will probably be a wrestling match with pivot tables that fixes the problem. Unfortunately, excel is not cooperating. I should post some excel spreadsheets for evaluation, criticism, and tips. I will spam the board with them when I enter a more productive phase in Feb.

Also, my skills as a trader is not at the level for design-my-own. I'm stlll learning via indoctrination simply by using high value added ( or so I think) software platforms. Thus, the search for turn key apps. Even more for execution and research.

Btw, I think Greeks can be solved with simple algebra once you have implied vol. There's a recent thread on a tos macro, the sheet is easily modifiable for pricing an options portfolio. I will work on that.
 
I guess I better put this up for criticism and review.

It's a very elementary, manual spreadsheet that allows me to review how I've traded around an underlying over a period of time. The time factor is not very precise.

Flames are welcome, but please give recommendations. I hope the options gurus see this thread.

The cute formatting is to make things match aesthetically to Optionshouse.
 

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