There's no shortage of advice on when to buy stocks, but there's precious little on when to sell. A new Web site, SmartStops.net, wants you to consider your exit strategy.
Each trading day, the site calculates suggested selling prices for more than 4,000 stocks and exchange-traded funds -- one price for investors looking ahead six months or less and another for longer-term holders. The formula adjusts for volatility; SmartStops is supposed to capture the start of a significant downward trend.
Ten years of back-tested data shows you'd have saved money bailing out of stocks when SmartStops said to. But, of course, only a track record in the real world can prove whether the timing will be spot-on.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Still, you can key in up to five stocks a day for free. If you register, you can track three stocks and get e-mail alerts if they hit the sell mark (the fee jumps to $9.95 a month and up for larger portfolios). TD Ameritrade customers get the service free and can order their holdings sold automatically if they reach the SmartStop. Partnerships with other online brokers are on the way, says SmartStops.
-
6 Steps to Protect Your Retirement SavingsDon't let a shaky economy and volatile market derail your retirement. These moves will help ensure your money lasts as long as you do.
-
How Location Changes the Math on Owning a Vacation HomeThe market you choose can make your dream getaway a smart investment — or an expensive mistake.
-
S&P, Nasdaq Hit New Highs: Stock Market TodayA late-day rally wasn't enough to lift the Dow into the green as its six-session winning streak came to an end.
-
Dow Adds 238 Points as UNH, CAT Pop: Stock Market TodayThe lack of a September jobs report didn't seem to worry market participants, with the data delayed due to the ongoing government shutdown.
-
Stocks at New Highs as Shutdown Drags On: Stock Market TodayThe Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average all notched new record closes Thursday as tech stocks gained.
-
S&P 500 Sees New Highs on Shutdown Day: Stock Market TodayMost of its components were in the red, but the S&P 500 Index still managed to hit a new intraday all-time high.
-
Stocks Close September on a High Note: Stock Market TodayA little bit of late risk-on behavior was enough to lift stocks into the green on the last day of September.
-
Investors Take Stock of Shutdown Talk: Stock Market TodayWhether we'll have a Jobs Friday this week depends on if we have a government shutdown in Washington.
-
Dow Adds 300 Points, Ends Losing Streak: Stock Market TodayThe Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq head into the weekend on high notes after posting gains for the first time since Monday.
-
Stocks Are Down for a Third Straight Day: Stock Market TodayStocks have come a long way in a short time since April and remain near all-time highs as the end of the third quarter approaches.
