Account Setup and Trading

A. Setting Up Your Trading Desk

Setting Up Your Trading Desk
Shares-to-Trade Worksheet (download)
Optional: Template for StreetSmart Edge (download)
Selecting a Model Portfolio

B. Making Your First Trades

Option 1: Call Schwab (800 number is in Share-To-Trade Worksheet).

Option 2: Set Up Trades on Schwab.com

Option 3: Set Up Conditional Trades on StreetSmart Edge

A2: SHARES-TO-TRADE WORKSHEET - DOWNLOAD AND SETUP

Download the Share-to-Trade Worksheet for your publication (Diamond or Sapphire)
Leave the blue cells blank if you have not selected a model portfolio yet.
After selecting a model portfolio, input the tickers and the description in the blue sections on the "Input Target Weights" tab.
Going forward, use worksheet to calculate the number of shares to trade each week.
When there are changes in the target weights update the Input Target Weights tab and the information in the green boxes on the Core and, if needed, the Theme tabs.
This worksheet is not guaranteed - make sure it is right for your own situation.
Modify this worksheet as needed to fit your needs. "Unprotect" the sheet to make changes.
Use "Save As" with a new date for each week you trade.

Shares-to-Trade Worksheets:

Download Diamond

Download Sapphire

Template for Schwab's StreetSmart Edge

Click button below to open a download site StreetSmart Edge template for Focused 15 Investing portfolios. A blog page will appear.
Click the link on the blog page.
Once open, disregard the files that appear in the center of your screen. Click the "Download" icon in your web browser. The template will download to a location on your desktop, usually the "Downloads" folder.
Open StreetSmart Edge on your desktop.
Locate the template by following these menu steps - File > Load > Load from a local file.
Navigate the location of your downloads, usually the "Downloads" folder.
Click on the file: StreetSmart Backup 2017-07-09 Blank.sse.
The workspace on SSE should now be the same as what is used in the examples.

Template

B2: Shares-To-Trade Worksheet

The shares to trade are shown between the big blue arrows. The tickers for each ETF are to the left of the estimated number of shares.

You should be familiar with the calculations in the worksheet and modify them as needed to fit your needs. I make no guarantee about the strength or accuracy of the worksheet and good value ranges.

With the information in the worksheet, you have a few options for setting up trade orders:

Option 1: Call Schwab's trading desk and have the brokers place order for you. Their number appears on the Shares-to-Trade worksheet.
Option 2: Use the Schwab.com website for trades. See video below.
Option 3: Use Schwab's StreetSmart Edge to set up trade orders. See video below.

B3 Option 2: Setting Up Trades on Schwab.com

Schwab.com

Shows how to create limit orders that will be reviewed for execution by Schwab the next trading day on Schwab.com.
This option is easy and suitable for most users.
This option works well on Mac computers.
Order types:
- The video describes "limit orders."
- Users can select "market orders" as well. Market orders trade at whatever price the market offers. There is a small chance that the price obtained will be disadvantageous, and limit orders reduce this risk.

6 minutes

B3 Option 3: Conditional Trade Orders on StreetSmart Edge

StreetSmart Edge

Video shows how to create "conditional" orders that trigger at a specific time on a specific day.
This option does not work well with Mac computers.
Order types:
- The video describes "limit orders."
- Users can select "market orders" as well. Market orders trade at whatever price the market offers. There is a small chance that the price obtained will be disadvantageous, and limit orders reduce this risk.

5 minutes

ETF Model Portfolios for High Return and Low Variability

Account Setup and Trading

A2: SHARES-TO-TRADE WORKSHEET - DOWNLOAD AND SETUP

A3: OPTIONAL TEMPLATE FOR SCHWAB STREETSMART EDGE

Template for Schwab's StreetSmart Edge

A4: Selecting a Model Portfolio

B1: Weekly Trading - Using the Shares-To-Trade Worksheet

B2: Shares-To-Trade Worksheet

B3 Option 2: Setting Up Trades on Schwab.com

B3 Option 3: Conditional Trade Orders on StreetSmart Edge

ETF Model Portfolios for High Return and Low Variability

Account Setup and Trading

A2: SHARES-TO-TRADE WORKSHEET - DOWNLOAD AND SETUP

A3: OPTIONAL TEMPLATE FOR SCHWAB STREETSMART EDGE

Template for Schwab's StreetSmart Edge

A4: Selecting a Model Portfolio

B1: Weekly Trading - Using the Shares-To-Trade Worksheet

B2: Shares-To-Trade Worksheet

B3 Option 2: Setting Up Trades on Schwab.com

B3 Option 3: Conditional Trade Orders on StreetSmart Edge

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