The "New" Short HomeStudy Course

The Short HomeStudy Course is primarily for the day trader. However, a day trader must start with the the same knowledge the swing trader needs, namely the market condition. Market condition (balance, transition to trend, trend, transition back to balance) requires knowledge of the Major Auction. Major auction and market condition are synonymus. The Long Course is devoted to recognizing market condition and to much of the philosophy of trading.

Both the Short and Long Courses educate the trader on the construction and behavior of auction markets. Markets are complex, self-regulating and driven by feedback. Meta-Profile is the only tool we know that decodes the market's feedback into value. At bottom, an understanding of the market leads to strategy development. If a day trader knows a market is beginning to trend down, the strategy is clear: seek to sell tops and do not try to to buy bottoms. In the same down market, one seeks to sell support breakthroughs. The important information, then, is market condition. Timing is of the essence. A balanced market that is turning down often generates clues such as downward moving Meta-Profile value areas. However, the breakout price from the balance is an unequivocal alert.

Short Course is now expanded to include training on market condition. Of course, one cannot learn in one or two months everything covered in a year. However, the first two months of the course are intensively devoted to market condition. Month 1 is a reprise of Month 1 of the Long course, which includes a great deal of practice in finding market condition from Overlay Demand Curves. Month 2 is also spent on the Major Auction, i.e. market condition. Lesson 3 is on the Minor Auction, reading what the market is doing currently. The first three lessons are preparation for the Advice Engine, which does much of the recognition of market condition work for the trader.
Trading as a Career
Trading Model Development

So Lessons 1 and 2 are on market condition, the base for all further trading. Lesson 3 familiarizes you with the near time-frame market activity. This "here and now" arena is where trends start, trends stop, congestion occurs, balances form, etc. Lastly, Lesson 4 on the Advice Engine introduces you to the most sophisticated trading tool we have. Advice Engine Report is a daily market survey, backed up by results from the previous Report. Advice Engine offers a real research base for one's own trading ideas. It gives a measure, an Index to compare by.

Altogether, Short Course now has all the elements, training on all those aspects of trading the day trader needs. There is the longer term information that sets the scene before ever the trading day dawns (market condition). Then one needs to understand the Minor Auction, the short term that is occurring during the trading day. Lastly, Advice Engine and it's research components ties the whole bundle together.


Just what does a competetive, public, day-trader need to know?
We see five major points.
1) Market Condition. Whether the market is balancing or trending (or in between), market condition gives one a sense of direction. This quantitizes one's day trading strategy. Market Condition is the base for all trading decisions.

2) Near Time Frame Market Activity. Whether the market is running, pausing or congesting determines the trader's actions for changing the risk, exiting, adding to a position, etc.

3) Risk Parameters. What is the real risk? The real potential for gain? Advice Engine Report lists risk and the historical Potential of all markets. One can find the historical reward/risk ratio for the last few months or the longer term.

4) Individual Market Evaluations. Today's hot tomato may be tomorrow's cold pickle. Advice Engine Research shows how one's market is changing.

5) Method Evaluation. The Basic Model in the Short Course is a starting point, but every trader puts their own modifications in the mix. After all, that is the definition of 'professional'. Advice Engine Potential tables give a measure, an index of the ideal return in a market.

A sixth point, of course, is the ability to combine the five points into one's knowledge base. First, where is the information generated?

1) Market Condition is evaluated in the Trader Control Package (TCP).
2) Near Time Frame Market Activity comes from the Day Trader Package (DTP).
3) Risk Parameters are found from TCP (Octants) and modified by research from the Advice Engine.
4) Market Evaluation is done on the fly by DTP and for the longer term by Advice Engine research. Advice Engine Select Trades daily list the most promising opportunities.
5) Method Evaluation is a function of the Advice Engine Potential. With the Potential (index) it becomes possible to compare one's proposed model with the ideal.
Trading Model Development

Cutting to the Chase: What Do Traders Need?

A short term trader makes profits by capturing market appreciation. There are only two problems to solve for succesful trading:

   1. Finding when trends start.
   2. Locating the place where the trend is over.


Trend Start
CISCO's Advice Engine solves problem 1. It lists breakout points.

Trend End
Trends usually end in congestion. This is physically seen as an accumulation of TPOs in the Meta-Profile. Meta-Profile data are in the Day Trader Package. This is where most traders need training.

A start for breakout analysis uses the simple basic model with just two reference points (in a balanced market these are the limit(s) and risk.
Breakout Trading History Example

While breakout/trend trading is easiest to understand, many traders get started with intra-day or Responsive trading. The specific risk per trade is lower but so is the Potential. And trading costs become much higher. Responsive trading is much more nuanced, the signals are less defined. We want you to take the easier road at first. Later on you will see material on Responsive trading. For example, see: Responsive Trade.

Nuts and Bolts of the Course

1) This Course is entirely on the internet. It is a correspondence course with access to the instructor (up to 15 minutes per week, phone or email). The lessons work include many examples and a great deal of data for training.

2) The five lessons are on the server, password protected. You get all the passwords when you sign up. You can study them at your own pace. You have access to the following trading information:
Swing Trader Package (aka Trader Control Package) for longer term trading
Day Trader Package for intra-day market information.
Advice Engine Package for both swing and day trading.

3) As soon as possible, you should begin using the current day data in your market analysis. Set up your daily log, a loose leaf binder with a dozen or so dividers. Pick six markets that interest you, e.g. grains, indexes, softs, currencies, interest rates, metals, oils, etc. Each evening review those markets (Visual Graphic is good for a survey). Post the tradeable markets in their section of your notebook. List your strategy. Next day see how the trade worked and post that info. Within a short time this process should take no more than 5 minutes per trade--the more you learn about markets, the less time the review and trading decision takes.

If, on a given day your primary six aren't doing much, go to the Advice Engine Report for trading ideas outside that six. Again, as you learn, you will find it simpler and simpler to locate potential trades. In the fourth lesson you will learn of ways to evaluate the reward to risk ratio of a trade. That is part of the Advice Engine. There are two additional lessons within the Advice Engine Package that guide you along. Just remember, you must do the first part, a lot of paper trading, to see the value of the more advanced analyses.

Whether you are a day trader or a swing/position trader, begin with the swing approach that you see in the text (VBPT). The longer term view, 5 to 20 days, is the source of the market condition. You need to know market condition to swing trade and to day trade. You have access to the Swing Trader Package, the Day Trader Package and the Advice Engine as a part of the course.

4) Auction Market Analysis is the only methodology that is based on market theory. You can often "see inside" the market if you are familiar with the theory (the why of market behavior). The 'lite' version of the theory is found by clicking on 'Whats New' at the top of the left sidebar on the homepage. A more comprehensive version is in the 'Background' section farther down.

5) If you do not understand something, use your contact time with the instructor.

Short HomeStudy Course includes:
          4 monthly lessons and two Advice Engine research lessons
             Lesson 1.  Getting Trading Data
             Lesson 2.  The Major Auction
             Lesson 3.  The Minor Auction
             Lesson 4.  Day Trade Selection and Trade Management
             Lesson 5.  At Advice Engine: Day Trade and Survive
             Lesson 6.  At Advice Engine: Reference Points for Trade Management

           Trader Control Package (End-of-Day)/Swing Trader Package
             Visual Graphics
             Regular Bracket Screen
             End-of-Day Tick data (5 Markets)
             Daily Summary Data
             TCP Basic Strategy and Trading Results 

           Day Trader Package
             Intra-Day Meta-Profile,  Plus Yesterdays Overlays
             Intra-day Meta-Profile 
             Intra-day Tick Bar Chart; Day-only and 24 Hour 
             Intra-day Running Meta-Profile 
             Intra-day Congestion Analysis (B and P Formations) 
             End-of-Day Tick data (5 Markets)
             Daily Summary Data

           End-of-Day Data
             Last 10 days of Meta-Profiles
             Last 10 days of Tick Bar Charts Day-only and 24 Hour
             Last 5 days of Meta-Profiles on a Common Price Strip

           Advice Engine
             Advice Engine Daily Report
             Lesson 1 Review of Auction Markets, Trade Management
             Lesson 2 Review of Reference Points, Modeling
             Select Table Daily History Data
             Research:  Drawdown Study Access (Risk Evaluation)
             Research:  Search History Statistics (Trades and Statistics)

           Pdf file of Text Book 

           Weekly Email Support


Price Schedule for Home-Study: $600* for 5 months

The Short Home-Study Course was recently extended to include the
Advice Engine Report and Research capability.  This makes it a better
bargain than ever.  The course includes the following CISCO services (and 
price if purchased separately), per our Price Catalog.
  1) 5 Lessons ($250)
  2) Trader Control Package ($375)
  3) Day Trader Package ($350)
  4) Advice Engine ($300) per month ($1,500)
  5) Course help sessions ($120/mo = $600) 
                                   Total for 5 months:  $3,075

                                   Your cost:           $  600


        *Traders who have completed either the Long HomeStudy Course or the
        Short HomeStudy Course are eligible for Advice Engine Charter
        Membership at one-half the regular rate.  Offer valid for 60
        days from completion of course.


To benefit fully from the course, the student must:
  Thoroughly learn how to recognize market condition (Lesson 1, Lesson 2);
  Become familiar with use of the intra-day data (Lesson 3);
  Master trade selection and trade management (Lesson 4).
    Learn the Advice Engine (Lesson 1AE, Lesson 2AE)

Some traders may not have enough spare time to complete the full course
in the time allotted.  At the end of the course, a student may extend the
term of the course for up to three months at a charge of $100 per month.
Notice of intent to extend, and time requested, with payment, must be 
received by CISCO by the 15th of the final month of the course.


                                  Mentoring
       The question of mentoring arises, both during a CISCO course and after.
       During the course, the trainee has access to CISCO personnel for fifteen
       minutes per week, or about an hour per month. In fact, this amount of
       time alone exceeds the cost of the course ($240 per month). For some, this 
       is adequate, others need more time, which is available at $240 per hour.
       After the course it can be helpful to many to be mentored as their
       trading gets underway. CISCO does not currently offer such a program. 
       Many firms do offer mentoring, but there are very, very few that are
       qualified in Market/Meta profile value based trading guidance. 
       
       One such firm known to CISCO is Alexander Trading LLC. Tom Alexander is
       a market veteran of 20 years. He has a background in trading and auction market
       analysis. Tom's firm offers seminars, one-on-one mentoring and other
       services for traders. Although we have not personally met with Mr. Alexander,
       we know him from his reputation. He and his firm can be your starting
       point in seeking mentoring. CISCO is permitting Mr. Alexander to use CISCO
       copyrighted material particularly, CISCO course information, in his mentoring;
       with the proviso that the source of any such material so used be disclosed.
       Alexander Trading LLC

       Disclaimer
       CISCO Futures and Alexander Trading are completely separate organizations.
       The two have no financial links and no revenue sharing or other ways of 
       effecting "pay backs", so prevalent in this business. While CISCO feels
       that Mr. Alexander may offer benefits to the trader new to profile methodology,
       any arrangements between the trader and Alexander Trading are between those two 
       parties, with CISCO totally uninvolved.


Click for: Highlights of Short Home-Study Course
Click for: Introduction to Home-Study Course   
Click for: Theory and Practice of Value Based Power Trading  
Click for: Explanation of Visual Graphic  
Click for: Introduction to Day Trading  

Click to Sign-up for Short Home-Study Course    

The CISCO Home Study trader-training course teaches you futures as a business
  -- You will understand the trading on the exchange floor: who does what
  -- You will gain a deep insight into the market
  -- You will learn powerful, proven trading techniques and strategy development
  -- You will be trained to recognize special market situations

Click for a description of Market Generated data
Click for examples of a Breakout Trade     
                        Responsive Trade      
                        Responsive and Breakout Trade

Click for a Test on Theory and Practice of VBPT
Click for the Home-study/New Market Analysis/Value Based Power Trading Glossary
Click for CISCO Futures Commodity Symbols