~~~ Frequently Asked Questions ~~~
1. Algo Programming Service
What do I need?
You need a) an idea for a trading algorithm or strategy that you
want programmed, b) a trading account with a broker, and
c) sufficient funds for trading - and for our fee.
How much does it cost?
Development fees start at EUR 170 for a simple indicator based
Forex system, and can reach 4 digits for systems based on
complex machine learning or data analysis algorithms. It's a
one-time fee and will be quoted. Payment is normally 50% in
advance and 50% after delivery. Dependent on complexity,
the development time ranges from 1 day to 4 weeks.
Do you also develop broker API connections?
Yes.
A
new
broker plugin for connection via REST API is EUR
2250, for FIX or a proprietary API it's EUR 4500.
How about warranty and support?
6 months
warranty and support are included. This period can be extended on
request.
On which platforms will the system run?
It will run either as standalone Windows app or as
a C/C++ Zorro script. HFT systems will be programmed in C,
assembler, or HLSL. We also design HFT hardware with VHDL.
Do you also develop bots or EAs for MT4?
No. But we do convert "Expert advisors" or other scripts from
retail platforms to C /C++.
What will I get?
We
deliver all systems with professionally structured and commented C or C++ source. You can
modify it, edit all parameterrs, adapt it to your needs, or use it as template for
your own trading algorithm programming. Also included is a
backtest, a brief analysis,
recommendations for live trading, and suggestions for possible
improvements.
How will it look like?
The system is controlled with the
Zorro user interface
or - if needed - an individual
spreadsheet-like user interface. The system status can be
streamed to a website.
How successful are your trading algorithms?
Here is a statistic of
trading system success rates. 2. About Zorro
What are Zorro's system requirements?
Zorro runs on all Windows
PCs from Win XP on, on Windows cloud servers, and on Linux or Mac
with a Windows subsystem
(see Zorro installation).
It won't run on iPhone or Android.
Is Zorro 100%
free, even for live trading?
Zorro is 100% free for private traders. For companies
or institutions, for trading
with other people's money, or for earning more than $ 30K
per year with Zorro, a sponsor license is required.
Is Zorro an online service?
No, Zorro runs either on your local PC, or on your rented VPS in the
cloud.
Is Zorro a broker?
Zorro is not a broker. You need an account
with a broker or bank, or a connection to an exchange for live trading with Zorro.
Which brokers
are supported?
Zorro supports all banks, brokers, and exchanges that have either a trading
interface (API), or provide a MT4™ or MT5™ trading platform. Major brokers such
as IB, FXCM, Oanda, Dukascopy, or cryptocurrency exchanges are directly supported trough their
API.
Is Zorro open source?
Partially. The indicator libraries and external programs, such
as the editor, are open source. The trading
engine and lite-C compiler are not since they share code with oP
group's other software products. On the
Zorro function list you can
see which functions and indicators are open source.
Can I use other software tools or web based
broker platforms together with Zorro? Yes.
Zorro can be integrated in external software, and can also control
other programs either through an API interface. It can even control
web based platforms by sending key strokes and mouse clicks to a
browser window or an application.
Do I need to understand code for trading an algorithmic
strategy? It's better. Not being able to
understand and modify code will put you at an immediate
disadvantage to other algo traders. Which means that the money
will most likely flow from your accounts to their. Trading is
mostly a zero-sum game.
How hard is it to write a trading strategy script? I have no experience
with programming or financial math. Try
it. Get the
Black Book or the online course. Learning the coding
basics will take about 1-2 weeks,
but is essential for success with algorithmic trading. 90% of people
learn coding quickly. But no one can tell beforehand whether
you belong to the other 10%. Just try and find out.
Is it correct that most trading tools
are scam?
Scam is indeed a major income source in the trading scene.
Many worthless "Trading Robots", "Expert Advisors",
trading courses, or similar
trading tools and services are offered on
countless websites. If there's no good explanation about how a
tool works and how it achieves profit, you can safely asume that
it is useless.
Why was Zorro developed?
Zorro development was initially funded by a sponsor. The
intention was overcoming the limitations of retail trading platforms,
and promoting programming and algorithmic trading to a large audience especially
in developing countries. Meanwhile the Zorro development is
funded by service fees and trading returns.
I got Zorro and have a special technical question.
Look here:
https://zorro-project.com/manual/en/afaq.htm
3. About Algorithmic Trading
Does financial trading serve any useful purpose? Or are
traders just parasites?
Trading produces no material or immaterial goods. But private
trading - when successful - can redirect the money flow from the
financial markets back to the production cycle, this way helping
the global economy. At the same time it can reduce the profits of
large funds and financial institutions, and make investments into
real products more attractive. Private financial trading is important
and useful to society, even though it only redistributes money.
If so, why isn't everyone trading?
The human mind is not good in detecting trade opportunities
in price curves. The risk of losing money is about 65% per year
for private traders, unrelated to their 'skills' or trading
experience. Employed professional traders achieve an average annual
profit of about 3% above market, by following rules and strict discipline.
People with no access to algorithmic trading should
better stay away from financial trading.
Is a machine superior to a human
trader?
Even relatively simple computer algorithms can easily outperform
most human traders. Computers do not make assumptions about of the future,
and they are not affected by emotions or by the pseudo-knowledge
and myths circulating in the trader scene. Large institutions, such
as hedge funds and investment banks, are very successful with machine
trading. Most private traders are not. That's one of the reasons
why Zorro was developed.
Won't it negatively affect the financial
markets when millions trade with automated systems?
It depends. Trading supports the markets by providing liquidity,
but some trade methods, such as high-frequency trend following,
can have a destabilizing effect and cause market crashes. Other
methods - mean reversing or cycle systems - can stabilize the prices.
Zorro's included strategies use only methods that are not supposed
to harm the markets.
Automated trading - what's the catch?
Here's a list of problems you might encounter when you
let a machine trade with your money. - Trading is not for anyone.
Aside from the usual trading risks, there are further risks associated
with automated trading, such as script errors or software bugs.
- Trading can become addictive, just like gambling. - Trading
does not produce any goods. It only redistributes money. - Trading
requires capital: at least $200 for trading one of Zorro's included
strategies, at least $10,000 for a substantial monthly income.
- Trading requires strong nerves. Even highly profitable strategies
can have long losing periods. - Trading strategies can expire.
Massive market changes can cause profits to suddenly stop with no
prior warning.
Which profit can I expect with automated
trading? The future is unknown- that's
why no trading method has a profit guarantee attached. In extreme cases, automated strategies
can return more than 100% annual profit on the invested capital
(Zorro's Z5 strategy returned 240% in live trading
from its start in July 2013 until its expiration in January 2015).
But this is not a certain income like from a savings account. Due
to market changes, trading profits can vary from month to
month. It is not trivial to predict the future performance of a strategy,
but advanced backtest methods - such as Montecarlo simulation - generate a relatively realistic profit projection
based on historical data. Even then,
there's no guarantee to always match theoretical profit in real trading.
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