Frequently Asked Questions

Service and Subscription

We offer two subscription plans: a Monthly plan ($49.95 per month) or a Yearly plan ($499.95). A Yearly subscription saves you nearly $100 over a Monthly plan.

Both plans give you full access to TimingCube's services and come with an unconditional 30-day money back guarantee for first time subscribers. If not satisfied for any reason during the first 30 days, TimingCube will be glad to issue a full refund. Please read our Refund/Cancellation Policy.

There is no long-term commitment.The unconditional money back guarantee is for the first 30 days only – no refunds are provided after 30 days.

To subscribe, simply follow the subscription process on the Subscribe page. You will then choose a User ID and Password which will give you immediate access to our current signal and other subscriber-only resources.

Unless you cancel the service, your subscription plan will automatically renew at the end of the subscription period. Auto-renewal helps prevent lapses in membership during which valuable signals could be missed.

Yes! Upgrading is advantageous and simple. A Yearly subscription plan costs $499.95 and will save you nearly $100.

Subscribers gain full site access including the current signal for our Turbo and Classic Models, as well as the latest update of the World ETF ranking list.

TimingCube subscribers can elect to receive e-mail notifications of a Turbo Model signal change, a Classic Model signal change, or both.

Subscribers gain full access to our knowledge base of articles including our investment philosophy as well as practical investing advice and recommendations.

Yes, indirectly. Managed Accounts tracking the TimingCube strategies and signals are available from MarketTrend Advisors.

For details see the Managed Accounts page.

A professional subscription is required to use the TimingCube system and signal to direct the investment of your clients' assets. A professional subscription to TimingCube enables the offloading of day-to-day research to a proven and successful approach and enrolls client assets in a strategy with a long-term track record of market-beating performance.

Our professional and institutional services are available through our sister company MarketTrend Advisors, ranging from simple signal licensing and strategy counseling to full money management.

MarketTrend Advisors' complete contact information is available under Managed Accounts.

Yes! TimingCube is compatible with all mobile devices including cellphones, iPads, and tablets.

To give a TimingCube gift subscription simply start a new subscription by clicking on the Subscribe link and following the simple steps. Be sure to select a "Yearly subscription" because a "Monthly subscription" will auto-renew every month and result an open-ended gift (and giving just one month would be of limited value). In Step 3 enter the Personal Information for the gift recipient with the exception of the e-mail address which should initially be yours (or the gift recipient will receive our confirmation e-mail with the amount you paid as well as any other e-mails we send prior to you informing her/him of the gift). Enter your secure Payment Information (we do not display the full credit card numbers in the "My Profile" page).

To confirm your TimingCube gift subscription please also complete the following steps:

  • Send an e-mail to support@timingcube.com requesting us to remove your credit card information from the gift account to prevent automatic renewal at the end of the 1st year (make sure you include the User ID of the gift account in your request)
  • At the time of your choosing, inform the lucky recipient of your generous gift and be sure to give her/him the website address www.timingcube.com and his/her personal User ID and Password. You should also instruct them to go to the "My Profile" page when they first log in and change the e-mail address to their own (or they will not receive our signals or any other notifications).

TimingCube Classic signals incorporate price and volume data from the Nasdaq Composite Index. The TimingCube Model was developed in early 2001 and has been backtested to January 3, 1989. The TimingCube Classic Model is not intended for day traders, but for long-term investors, as it generates few signals. On average, three to five signals per year will be issued -- over the past 15 years, acting on these signals has proven extremely profitable.

The TimingCube Turbo signals incorporate the behavior of the PowerShares QQQ exchange traded fund (ETF). The PowerShares QQQ ETF is based on the Nasdaq-100 tracking index, The Index includes 100 of the largest domestic and international nonfinancial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization. Taking into account the volatility of the index, the TimingCube Turbo Model may be in a slower, trend-following state where signals and trades are few; or at times of higher volatility, may switch to more frequent trading where signals can occur as often as twice a week, with an overall average of 4 signals per month. It is therefore intended for both long-term investors and active traders. Launched in October 2015, The TimingCube Turbo Model has been backtested to March 1999, the inception of the QQQ ETF.

Both Models are 100% mechanical and unemotional, utilizing proprietary inputs and parameters. Please note that the underlying algorithms that drive the two Models are completely independent and do not rely on each other. As a result, the TimingCube Turbo and TimingCube Classic signals may not agree on any given day.

At TimingCube, everything we do is based on absolute integrity. For complete accountability, our trades and returns are independently verified and tracked by TimerTrac.com.

Click the TimerTrac medalions below for independent verification of our track record.

Turbo Model

Turbo Timertrac Medalion

Classic Model

Classic Timertrac Medalion

TimingCube's Classic and Turbo Models are run at the end of each trading day. If a new signal is issued, it will be posted on this Web site and accessible by subscribers by 9:00 pm ET that same day. Subscribers are also notified of the signal change by e-mail.

You can cancel at anytime. Simply send a cancellation request via e-mail to at support@timingcube.com or by using our Contact us page. Please specify your User ID in your e-mail message.

Please read our Refund/Cancellation Policy.

General

Trend Timing is an investment approach pioneered by TimingCube, which enables investors to profit in both up or down markets by implementing Models that follow the broad market trends. Our purely mechanical Models observe past and current market action to determine the general trend.

The Classic Model is developed for long-term investors and instead of daily or weekly trading, it only generates on average 3 to 5 signals per year. For its part, our Turbo Model generates higher returns by trading more often, with an average of 4 signals per month.

Both Trend Timing Models have the unique ability to capture the high correlation that exists between major stock markets over extended periods of time, and in turn allows the exact same signal to be applied successfully to various market indexes, both U.S. and international. We do not predict how long a trend will last or how strong it will be. No one can do so consistently. The beauty of our Models is that we always know exactly where we stand, as long as the trend is up we have a Buy signal, and as long as the trend is down we have a Sell signal; For the Classic Model, a Cash signal can issued when the Model detects conflicting trends or as a stop loss security.

Trend Timing is both completely unemotional and extremely profitable.

Yes. The signals generated by our Turbo and Classic Models apply to the broad stock market. Because of the high correlation between World markets, our signals can be used to successfully time many U.S. and international indexes. Any disconnects between indexes do not last long, even international ones. Recognizing that relative strength always changes between markets we offer the World ETF Ranking strategy to help you diversify your portfolio by investing in markets that show the strongest momentum.

Many people will tell you that it is useless to try to time the market, because it cannot be done consistently. We disagree, and we hope you will too after checking our Turbo Model performance.

Many investors fail to time the market because they make decisions based on emotions, not facts. Human nature pushes us to follow the crowd and overpay for a stock that is about to peak, or dump another one because of a scary market drop, when we should in fact be buying it. Because of this, we believe that the key to successful market timing is to use a 100% mechanical system that completely removes emotions from the investing process.

Of course such a Model will only be as good as the criteria and indicators it uses to generate timing signals. The TimingCube Turbo and Classic Models provide an excellent way to time the broad stock market. As Buy and Hold investors have learned in 2000- 2002 and in early 2008, being invested in stocks during a significant market drop can be devastating. An investor following TimingCube's Models would not only have avoided those losses, but could also have profited tremendously from the market collapse.

We recommend using diversified investment vehicles that mirror major U.S. and international market indexes such as the Nasdaq 100, Russell 2000, S&P 500, the Brazilian's Bovespa, the Hong Kong's Hang Seng...

Index tracking investments mostly fall in two categories: Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and mutual funds, nonetheless the popularity and variety of ETFs is increasing at a fast pace, while mutual funds are losing momentum. Similar to stocks, ETFs can be bought long, sold short, can be held in margin, and can be traded at the market open, the day following a signal change. Since ETFs can be found that match, double, inverse, and double inverse performance objectives for most indexes, they can be used to implement the TimingCube strategies and are viable alternatives for qualified retirement accounts where "shorting" and "margin trading" are not allowed. Mutual funds on the other hand are usually traded at the market close. Because of the resulting one-day delay, mutual funds are not suitable vehicles for our Turbo Model, as signals can come as frequently as twice a week during volatile periods. Investors looking to follow the Turbo Model should therefore stick to ETFs instead.

You have three options:
  1. You can decide to follow the current active signal. For example, if a Buy signal has been in effect for some time, you would just buy shares of your selected ETF and become fully invested at the time you join.
  2. A more prudent approach would be to use dollar cost averaging. For example, if you intend to invest $10,000 using our Turbo or Classic signal, you could start your investment with 20% of that total immediately, and add 20% to the position each week until you are totally invested, or until we issue a new signal.
  3. Finally, you could simply wait until the next signal, but this might possibly keep you on the sidelines for several weeks or months.
It is up to you to decide which option to choose, based on your tolerance for risk.

TimingCube's Turbo and Classic Models are run at the end of each trading day. If a new signal is issued, it will be posted on this site and will be accessible by subscribers by 9:00 pm ET that same day. Subscribers are also notified of the signal change by e-mail. In order to achieve the full benefit from the signal, you should act on it as soon as possible.

If your selected investment vehicle is an ETF, your order should be placed before the market opens on the next trading day. Since ETFs trade like stocks, they can be bought or sold at market open. All performance results posted on this site assume the trading occurs at market open, the day after a signal change. We do not recommend placing trades in extended session trading (before or after the standard market trading session) due to higher levels of volatility and a lack of market liquidity.

If you follow the Classic Model and your selected investment vehicle is a mutual fund, your order should be placed before or during the trading hours of the day following the signal change. Since most mutual fund families only calculate the Net Asset Value (NAV) at the end of each trading day, this ensures that you will buy the mutual fund at the first available price. This is a significant difference between ETFs and mutual funds: whereas you can buy an ETF right at market open, you in effect have to wait until market close to buy an equivalent mutual fund. Over time the performance impact of the one day delay should be fairly minor but since the Classic Model trades very little, nevertheless, you should be on the lookout for fund families that are starting to offer intra-day mutual fund pricing.

No, you should not! If in doubt, have a look at our Turbo Model prformance and you will see that the best course of action is to simply follow the signal.

Furthermore, we designed a way to limit losses in our Classic Model: a Cash signal is automatically issued by the Model if the Nasdaq Composite Index moves against our current position by more than 9% from our Buy or Sell entry point. This is designed to keep any losses to a reasonable minimum from the entry point when we are most vulnerable, as no timing Model will always be 100% right. Once the Nasdaq Composite Index has advanced 7% or more from our entry point, the maximum drawdown limit is ratcheted-up to 15% and the Cash signal becomes a trailing stop. This means that from then on, if the Composite declines 15% from its most recent closing high on an active Buy signal, or moves up 15% or more from its recent closing low on an active Sell signal, a Cash signal will be issued and you will be notified. When a Cash signal is generated, you should liquidate your current long or short investments and keep the proceeds in cash or in a money market fund until a new Buy or Sell signal is issued.

For its part, our Turbo Model does not implement a Cash signal, nor does it have any stop loss point. Looking at our backtested performance and maximum drawdown, we believe that is a very reasonable risk level given the tremendous potential for gains with Turbo.

It is, of course, for you to decide! Just be aware that, in the past, our trades have lasted up to a year and a half and returned over 200%, so there is nothing that says we are close to the next signal.

If in doubt, have a look at our Turbo Model performance and you will see that the best course of action is to simply follow the signal.

The answer is an emphatic yes. Moneys you set aside for your retirement are the funds that most necessitate a sound, disciplined, long-term, all-weather investment method. Retirement funds have a number of ideal characteristics as investment assets, namely that you are unlikely to withdraw and spend them in the short term and that gains and dividends are typically reinvested. Even if you are already retired and are living off the nest egg, you still have a long-term perspective for your retirement assets. In addition, if the funds are in a qualified retirement plan such as an IRA or 401(k), you further benefit from tax deferred growth. By fully reinvesting dividends and capital gains and not having to pay taxes until you start withdrawals, you unleash the full power of compounding.

The most common challenge in qualified retirement plans is finding available investment vehicles and in turn adapting to the most appropriate strategy. By law, the use of short selling and margin trading are prohibited in retirement accounts. If your IRA account is with a large financial services or brokerage firm you most likely have access to ETFs that track broad market indexes or their opposites, with or without leverage, which should allow you to fully implement the strategy you decide is right for you.

Because of the prospect of some quicker trading, we caution subscribers trading our Turbo Model in their IRA, Roth, or other non-margin accounts to make sure that cash is available in their account before trading. To minimize any potential trade issues, those accounts should consider using less than half of their account value, trading leveraged ETFs to make up for the smaller allocation. For example, instead of using QQQ and the corresponding inverse ETF PSQ to implement the Turbo Long and Short strategy in an IRA, we can use the double-leveraged QLD/QID qid pair on half the portfolio size, keeping the other half in cash. Practically, in a $20,000 account, a Buy signal would suggest we buy no more than $10,000 worth of QLD, with a Sell signal driving a purchase of no more than $10,000 worth of QID. Taking this approach should always keep plenty of cash on hand for trade settlement and minimize the remote possibility that your account will encounter any trading restrictions.

No! Timingcube and TradeGuru services are different and their recommendations are completely unrelated. Because of this the two services are complementary and having a portion of your portfolio dedicated to each should work well and provide strategy diversification.

No! Timingcube and ETFTide are separate and different services, and they are independent of each other. While it is good to use complementary services for strategy diversification, you should not attempt to mix the two. Specifically, the ETFTide portfolio is not meant to be timed with broad market trends because many of the ETFs which represent sectors or commodities are not correlated.

World ETF Ranking

The answer depends on your style of investing and your risk tolerance.

There are two basic strategies you can implement with the World ETF Ranking:

  • Long Only: This strategy follows the World ETF Ranking recommendations when the TimingCube Classic signal is Buy and goes to cash when the Classic signal is Sell
  • Long and Short: Follows the World ETF Ranking recommendations when the TimingCube Classic signal is Buy and shorts the QQQ qqq or instead buy the corresponding inverse ETF (ticker symbol PSQ) when the Classic signal is Sell

We also provide the returns for the Buy and Rebalance strategy, which ignores the Classic signals altogether and stays fully invested in the World ETF Ranking's Top 5 ETFs at all times, rebalancing every 4 weeks. Because this strategy is always invested and never short, it is similar in concept to a Buy and Hold approach for a single index/ETF and therefore provides for an appropriate way to compare returns.

For its part, our Turbo Model does not use the World ETF Ranking. The reason is that our Turbo Model is a "point" trading Model where we advise subscribers to trade only one or two major equity indexes. Given that the Classic Model typically has signals that can last many months, there is more benefit to trying to identify and focus your investment on the best performing areas of the market. World ETF Rankings identify which markets are hottest. Thus, with TimingCube Classic, you gain from both the signal as well as from what index or country ETFs you use. With the Turbo Model potentially issuing signals twice a week during volatile periods, the gains come almost solely from the accuracy of the signal. There is far less to be gained from buying and selling a multi-position portfolio and you would likely experience higher trading costs and likely not improve performance with the Turbo Model.

Depending on the indexes, there may be limited choices of investment vehicles available and they can have trading restrictions. Our extensive testing using simulated inverse indexes have demonstrated that shorting the Nasdaq 100 delivered better results than shorting the top indexes themselves.

So for simplicity and efficiency sake, we use the Nasdaq 100, which offers a well traded ETF (QQQ) and inverse ETFs (PSQ), to implement the Long and Short strategy.

The Model used to rank the indexes is mostly momentum based; it is 100% mechanical and unemotional, but the specific indicators are proprietary and confidential. The proprietary TimingCube Strength Indicator determines each index rank. This indicator is provided for information to active members in the ranking table. The higher the number, the higher the momentum and the higher the rank (#1 is the highest rank).

TimingCube's World ETF Ranking Model is run at the end of each trading week on Fridays, and the updated list will be posted on this Web site by 9:00 pm ET that same day.

Our extensive backtesting has demonstrated very good results with portfolios holding five indexes. This does not mean that this is a minimum or a maximum; depending on the size of your portfolio and the amount of diversification you are seeking, you may want to increase or decrease the number of positions.

You have three options:

  • If you are starting a new portfolio, decide how many positions you want to trade and purchase your investment vehicles of choice (ETFs, ETF options) following the most recent ranking
  • You are at the end of your rebalancing cycle (typically four weeks), so you get the latest ranking from the TimingCube Web site and trade accordingly
  • You are in a middle of your rebalancing cycle, simply ignore the recommendations, and wait until it is time to rebalance

TimingCube's World ETF Ranking Model is run at the end of each trading week on Fridays, and the updated list will be posted on this Web site by 9:00 pm ET that same day. When your four week period is up, you should rebalance your positions as soon as possible, typically during the next trading day.

The ranking is updated on a weekly basis to allow new subscribers to build their positions without having to wait too long between updates. Nonetheless there may be few changes from one week to the next and our backtesting has demonstrated that rebalancing every four weeks delivers good results without incurring too many trades. Since our Model is momentum based and long-term oriented, it is unlikely that the ranking will change dramatically from one week to the next.

Using regional ETFs covering wide areas like Europe, South America or Asia/Pacific can be an alternative to cherry picking a selection of country specific ETFs, especially in times when our ranked list shows top performers coming from the same region. However, this is a more conservative approach and might miss on some of the best performance of the countries outperforming their peers.

The backtested World ETF Ranking returns available on the TimingCube Web site were obtained without using stop losses. Nonetheless, due to the volatility of some of the international indexes, some may experience significant drawdowns. Depending on your risk tolerance, you may choose to implement your own stop loss orders to limit drawdowns.

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