thinkorswim from TD Ameritrade User Manual Overview and Document Conventions: Welcome to the thinkorswim from TD Ameritrade trading platform. This is commonly referred to as the “software” platform because it is downloaded to your computer. You’ll notice there are several sections of this platform, each designed to give you the most complete, robust trading experience available. This manual is designed to give you an overview of the basic features of the platform. TD Ameritrade rolls out new features and tools on a regular basis, so it’s important to first understand the logic of the platform and then build on those basics to increase your familiarity with the platform. Once you are comfortable with the basics, you can explore the advanced features of the platform to enhance your trading. This manual will begin in a logical sequence from logging on to viewing account information and entering orders. The paperMoney® simulation is designed to give you an avenue to practice using the platform before you begin live trading with actual funds in your account. We urge you to experiment with the paperMoney simulation to get the hang of using the platform. You have nothing to lose by practicing with the paperMoney simulation; one of the benefits of paperMoney is that you can choose to reset it at any time. The paperMoney logistics are explained in greater detail at the end of this manual along with some quick references regarding shortcut features. In addition to this manual, we also provide instructional videos that showcase the features of the platform. You can find these under the platform’s “Help” tab. To begin, it is important that you are aware of some standard conventions used in this document. The standard uses of keystrokes in this manual are as follows: “CLICK” denotes that you should use the “LEFT CLICK” feature of your mouse. “DOUBLE CLICK” indicates that you should perform a “DOUBLE LEFT CLICK” with your mouse. “RIGHT CLICK” denotes that you should use the “RIGHT CLICK” feature of your mouse. “ENTER” indicates that you should press the “ENTER” key on your keyboard. Please note: Despite our best efforts to keep this manual complete and comprehensive, there may be points at which you feel a need for further clarification. When placing a trade, ALWAYS be certain to double check your trade parameters before submitting it. In the event that anything described in this manual differs from your experience with the software, or if you have any questions regarding how to place a trade, please contact our Dedicated Support Desk Specialists at 800-672-2098. Table of Contents I. Logging on to thinkorswim from TD Ameritrade......................................4 II. Quick Shortcuts.......................................................................................7 III. The Application Windows........................................................................9 a. Left Sidebar Account Info...............................................................................9 Gadgets ...................................................................................12 b. Main Window..................................................................................14 Monitor Tab .............................................................................14 Trade Tab ................................................................................21 Analyze Tab.............................................................................29 Probability Analysis .................................................................32 Scan Tab .................................................................................35 MarketWatch Tab ....................................................................37 Charts Tab...............................................................................47 Tools Tab.................................................................................49 Help Tab ..................................................................................51 IV. Order Entry Made Easy ........................................................................53 V. paperMoney Rules…………………………………………………………..63 I. Logging on to thinkorswim from TD Ameritrade After opening the software, you will see the logon window. From this window, you can log on with your UserID and password. Domain: The “Domain” field is found in the upper right hand corner of the logon screen. It allows you to select the domain you will connect to. CLICK this field to open a drop-down menu allowing you to select from a list of domains. The only time that you will need to adjust this field is in the event that you have an account with thinkorswim, thinkorswim Canada or Investools® that you would like to access. Otherwise, this field should be set to “TD Ameritrade,” the default setting when you first install the software. Live Trading VS. paperMoney: The “Connect to” feature is found above the “User” and “Password” fields. From this section you can choose to sign into “Live Trading” to access your funded account, or you can choose “paperMoney” to sign into your virtual, or paper money account. Since trading can involve substantial risk involving large sums of money, paperMoney is recommended until you are comfortable with the trading platform and preferably have developed a trading plan. In paperMoney, you can experiment without affecting your financial well-being. For your safety, the only way to toggle between paperMoney and Live Trading is to log out of the software; there is no way to get to Live Trading from paperMoney or to paperMoney from Live Trading without logging out of the software. This is for your protection, to help ensure that you do not place an unintended live trade. To select between “Live Trading” and “paperMoney,” CLICK on your preferred logon. The software is designed to default to your most recent selection, so if you select paperMoney and log on, “Connect to” will default to “paperMoney” the next time you bring up the logon screen. Because there is no way to switch between Live Trading and paperMoney without logging out of the software, you should verify this selection each time you log on. Options: The “Options…” button is at the bottom left of the logon window. It allows you to adjust some of your software settings, including your color scheme and font size. Note that selecting larger font sizes may affect the layout of the software. After you make your selections in this window you can click “Save” to return to the logon window. TD Ameritrade [email protected] 800-672-2098 5 In the event that you would like to change your background color, CLICK on the top menu item, titled “Color scheme,” and select a different background color from the choices listed in the drop-down menu: Logging on: Once you have selected your “Connect to” choice, simply log on with your UserID and password. The UserID and password are the same for “Live Trading” and “paperMoney,” so make certain you have selected the correct choice in the ‘Connect to’ field. Note that you must use lowercase letters for both your UserID and password in order to log on to your account. TD Ameritrade [email protected] 800-672-2098 6 II. Quick Shortcuts The platform has shortcuts to speed up navigation and order entry. Learning more shortcuts can help enhance your understanding of the software’s logic and increase your efficiency. The following table will show you where you can find specific icons, and what the icons represent: Name Tab/Page Function Monitor, Trade, Blue Dot Opens a menu Analyze Blue Arrow All Opens a menu Market View Shortcut to customize your watch list or Grey Dot Market Watch/ Quote select a different watch list Market View Shortcut to link symbols in different Link Boxes All Tabs/Pages sections/pages Market View Gear Shortcut to select particular watch lists Market Watch/Quote Detach Icon All Opens the section in a separate window Print Icon All Shortcut to print or export your page Monitor/ Acct. Statement Calendar Shortcut for selecting a particular date Trade/All Products Analyze/ Several Multiple pages: black Opens drop-down menus for an Yellow Flag background information column or data field Multiple pages: metal Opens drop-down menus for an Blue Flag or white backgrounds information column or data field Double Down Trade Tab/ All Opens Symbol Field Table, a listing of Arrows Products page symbols for indices, futures, forex, etc. Message Left Sidebar Opens Message Center Center Watch list Indicates earnings are available for the Earnings Charts selected symbol Watch list Indicates a dividend for the selected Dividends Charts symbol TD Ameritrade [email protected] 800-672-2098 7 Conference Watch list Indicates a conference call occurring for Call Charts the selected symbol Watch list Indicates a new article is available Hot News Charts regarding the selected symbol Indicates that it is possible to modify/customize the setup or layout of Setup Icon Multiple pages the page or section under which the setup icon is found Opens a drop-down menu listing all of the Gadgets Icon Account Info available gadgets TD Ameritrade [email protected] 800-672-2098 8 III. The Application Windows Please note: Closing the platform DOES NOT cancel your open orders or close your positions. Please be sure your work is completed for your session before you close the platform. Of course, if you realize you forgot to take care of something, you can sign back in to take care of it. a. Left Sidebar Below this banner is the Left Sidebar.