Automated vs Manual Trading - which is more common?

General
1

After completing my initial ranking strategy, I am about to go live with it via an IB account.
I'm uncertain if an automated or manual trading strategy is best/feasible. What is most common with P123 users? Do most review their ranking system buy/sell recommendations and then manually enter trade orders, or do most let P123 automatically create and place the buy/sell orders? Are there any pitfalls I should be aware of if I pursue the automated route?

Note: at this point I'm not looking for efficiencies (ex. minimizing buy-price & maximizing sell-price), I'm just curious which approach is the simplest to implement, track, and oversee.

2

I recommended you take the test: Use half the money to do it manually and half the money to automate it.

1 Like
3

Here is one (among several) problems you will have with IB, assuming your P123 model focuses on micro-caps.
IB will require 100% margin on anything they consider a micro-cap which effectively removes the ability to use margin at all. Not only that but they also require a day or two settlement for the micro caps you sell.

This means will not be able to buy and sell on the same day which makes it impossible to actually follow your model.

Tradier is better in that they will allow same day settlement for micro caps, but still require 100% margin, so you only need to sell first, then buy, but cannot do both simultaneously.

I think P123 would need to integrate with someone like Schwab in order to click-and-forget.

Tony

4

I just let it run auto. That is what I have tested. I am with IB but have other 'systems' I trade with larger caps so I have margin available for rebalancing.

5

Are you using IB pro or IB lite?

6

I think everyone uses the pro.

7

I use IB Pro.

8

Good to know. Most of my stocks are micro caps, some small cap. Thanks for the insights.

9

I seem to be able to settle on the same day when I trade microcap stocks with IB.