types of strategies we support
We support programs traded with:
(a) leveraged long/short funds from Rydex, ProFunds, or Direxion (including Rydex AM pricing)
(b) indices such as the S&P 500 or TYX using EOD closing prices
(c) any other publicly traded mutual funds.
Trades can be executed at the same day's close (and/or at the AM price for Rydex) assuming the trade is generated prior to the custodian's cutoff time. Alternatively, trades can be executed at the following day's close.
We do not work with day traders, stock traders, or other intraday programs.
licenses, registration, and costs
Outside of your time and effort, there are no costs associated with joining the Timer Seeds team.
Becoming a professional market timing strategy developer doesn't require any type of special license or registration assuming that you do not provide specific advice to specific individuals. Telling your clients to go long the S&P 500 today is okay. Telling Bob that going long the S&P 500 today would be a good idea given his asset allocation and investment goals is not.
your intellectual property rights
We've stated it multiple times of this website, but we just wanted to make ourselves abundantly clear - should you become part of the Timer Seeds team, at no point will you ever be asked to divulge your specific trading rules.
We want to work closely with our strategy developers to mould their strategies to fit what investors and financial professionals want. But we want to do that based on the end product, not based on the nuts and bolts of the strategy. You've worked hard to create your strategy - it's yours - and you have a right to protect it.
what we're looking for when selecting developers
A lot of people who want to enter this industry have the drive to succeed and a good work ethic, so we won't pretend that those are the most important things we look for (although they are an absolute requirement). We are much more interested in performance. We prefer actual real time performance and backtested performance together, but we will consider one or the other alone if they pass some basic requirements for statistical validity.
Beyond that, we want to find people that we want to work with. Our mission is to build long fruitful relationships with our timers so it's important to us that the folks in our program are fun to work with. This industry is stressful enough without the added difficulty of working with difficult people. We're here because we want to be and because it's good to be the good guys - sour personalities need not apply.
how long it takes to begin selling a strategy
This question does not have a one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on a number of factors, but most importantly, it depends on how well the timer performs/has performed in real-time on an absolute and risk-adjusted basis. Generally, a very good one to two-year track record is sufficient to begin building assets under management, but three years is really the magic number that serious money movers require.
For existing real-time track records, we will work with an appropriately certified accountant to audit the results post hoc, and then setup a process for the developer to keep that audited track record up to date moving forward. This last point is important - potential developers for our program may already have an adequate track record to begin the selling process.
how much a strategy developer can expect to earn
This question is even harder to predict than the last - suffice to say, the answer is somewhere between nothing and a whole, whole lot. It depends on a number of factors including: the developer's real-time performance, length of the audited track record, risk profile of the strategy, scalability of the strategy (AUM it can support), and accessibility of the strategy (places where it can be traded). There is a unique answer for every unique strategy and we'll be able to give you a better answer once we've had an opportunity to work together and understand your program.