ThinkOrSwim

Platform

Starter Package
 Introduction
Thinkorswim (TOS) is a very powerful and useful platform for Options traders with
several excellent features. This starter package compiled by FGoptions is designed
to help new traders jumpstart their trading journey by introducing the key features
and functions only. As such it is far from being complete or comprehensive as it is
not designed to be.

Most information here are compiled from:
https://tlc.tdameritrade.com.sg/center/howToTos.html

This package aims to:
a.  Orientate the trading platform
b.  Explain and customise the left-side panel
c.  Illustrate how to create a watchlist
d.  Explain the Monitor Tab & terminologies
e.  Highlight how you can utilise the Analyze tab
f.  Orientate the Chart Tab
g.  Illustrate how to link the watchlists to the various commonly-used tabs
h.  Provide additional links to other videos from TOS
 Orientating the Trading Platform

Left Side-bar Main Window

The working area of the TOS platform can be divided into

two parts: the left sidebar and the main window. The left
sidebar (1) is where you keep gadgets necessary for your
work. The main window (2) contains eight tabs, which
provide you with numerous kinds of functionality.
 Left Sidebar
1

1.  Account Information Section

•  Option Buying Power – How much funds (USD) available to
enter new Option Trades
•  Net Liq & Day Trades – Net worth of all positions if all trades are
liquidated at existing market values. Day trades refer to the
number of day trades (buying and selling of the same security
on the same day) left for that day.

https://tlc.tdameritrade.com.sg/center/howToTos/thinkManual/
Left-Sidebar/Account-Info.html
 2.  Customisable Gadgets

•  Entirely customisable with Gadgets (like mini apps)

•  Click on Menu to detach, switch or delete gadgets
•  Selection of Gadgets when you click “switch”
•  Click “+” button to add more Gadgets
•  Common Gadgets include Watchlist and Live News
•  https://tlc.thinkorswim.com/center/howToTos/
thinkManual/Left-Sidebar.html

2
Creating your Watchlists
1 1.  Click on Menu on the Watchlist Gadget
2.  Click Create Watchlist under the Menu
3.  Insert Name of Watchlist (Eg 00 Indices 1)
4.  Insert Tickers for this watchlist
5.  Once complete, click “Save”

5
 Sample Left Sidebar configuration
1

2 Section 1 - Account information

Section 2 - Watchlist on major Indices, Gold and Oil prices
Section 3 - Your favourite Watchlist
Section 4 - Live News

4
 Main Window

The Monitor tab is the primary location where your trading activity is tracked. This
includes many kinds of data: your orders, positions, statements, cash balances, and
trading account status.
The Trade tab contains the following interfaces: All Products, Forex Trader, Futures Trader,
Pairs Trader, and Active Trader.
The Analyze tab provides you with analysis techniques of many kinds, including simulation
of "what-if scenarios" on both real and hypothetical trades, volatility and probability
analyses, the Economic Data indicator database, and option back-testing.
The Scan tab enables you to filter through tens of thousands of stock, option, futures and
forex products available based on search criteria.
The MarketWatch tab provides you with market data of many kinds as well as techniques
that will help you process it. The following sub-tabs are available Quotes, Alerts, Visualize,
Financing Rates, and Calendar.
The Charts tab provides you with a powerful graphic interface of real-time market data
with an extensive selection of technical analysis tools.
The Tools tab encompasses several handy thinkorswim features: myTrade, Trade Feeds,
thinkLog, and Shared Items.
 Monitor Tab

Monitor Tab – Where trading activities are tracked

a.  Working Orders – Orders which have been submitted to the exchanges but
not yet filled, will be listed here
b.  Filled Orders – Once the working orders are filled, they will be moved from
“Working Orders” section to this section. The trades will be reflected in
Position Statement
c.  Cancelled Orders – If any of the Working Orders have been cancelled by the
trader, or have expired, they will be removed from the “Working Orders”
section to this section

Only today’s orders will be reflected in the above sections. Cannot customise

https://tlc.tdameritrade.com.sg/center/howToTos/thinkManual/Monitor.html
 Filled Trades will be reflected at Position Statement Section

•  Qty refers to the number of options contracts or stock in your account

•  Days refers to the number of days to last trading day of the options trades
•  Mark refers to the current premium value or current stock price
•  Trade Price refers to the premium value or stock price at inception of the trade
•  Delta, Theta and Vega are the Greeks on the trade
•  P/L Open is the amount of money made or lost on your position since the inception of the trade
•  P/L Day is the amount of money made or lost on your position from last night’s close to the
current prices plus today’s trades profit and loss.
 Analyze Tab

•  The interfaces of Analyze tab provide you with analysis techniques of many kinds,
including simulation of “what-if scenarios” on both real and hypothetical trades,
volatility and probability analyses, and back-testing etc
•  This is an extremely useful tab for all traders, as we can manipulate and analyse
the simulated trades visually before sending out the orders
•  https://tlc.thinkorswim.com/center/howToTos/thinkManual/Analyze.html
•  At “Add Simulated Trades” section, we can add trades for analysis
•  At “Risk Profile” section, we can see the Risk Graphs for the simulated trades and/
or existing trades
•  At “Thinkback” section, we can go back into the past by inserting the desired date
and we can then see the stock prices and the option chains on that day. A great
way to do back-testing.
•  At “Fundamentals” section, we can see a huge amount of information on the
stocks without going to other websites. A fantastic research tool
•  At “Add Simulated Trades” section, we can add trades for
analysis
•  Once we insert the stock ticker, we can see the stock
prices plus the Option Chains
•  By clicking on the options, a simulated trade will be
inserted into the “Position and Simulated Trades”
section below
•  By moving to the “Risk Profile” section, we can see the
risk graph of the simulated trade and/or existing trades
 Charts

•  At “Charts” tab, we can see the charts for various stocks/indices/ETFs

•  Check out the link below (videos) to learn more features of this tab as well
as how to customise the charts
•  https://tlc.thinkorswim.com/center/howToTos/thinkManual/charts.html
•  https://tlc.thinkorswim.com/center/howToTos/thinkManual/charts/Chart-
Style-Settings.html
 Linking Watchlists to Tabs
•  We can link the watchlists on the Left Sidebar to the various tabs such as Analyze
and Chart tab.
•  Once that is done, we would not need to insert the same ticker at different tabs
to do research or analysis on the same stock
•  To do that, we need to first manually assign a link (any number or colour, but
should be the same for the link) at the watchlist followed by at the various tabs
 Useful Links
No Topic Links
1 MarketWatch Tab https://tlc.thinkorswim.com/center/howToTos/thinkManual/MarketWatch.html

Calendar https://tlc.tdameritrade.com.sg/center/howToTos/thinkManual/MarketWatch/Calendar.html

Setting Alerts https://tlc.thinkorswim.com/center/howToTos/thinkManual/MarketWatch.html

Calendar https://tlc.tdameritrade.com.sg/center/howToTos/thinkManual/MarketWatch/Calendar.html

2 Analyze Tab https://tlc.thinkorswim.com/center/howToTos/thinkManual/Analyze.html

Add Simulated Trades https://tlc.thinkorswim.com/center/howToTos/thinkManual/Analyze/Add-Simulated-Trades.html

Risk Profile https://tlc.thinkorswim.com/center/howToTos/thinkManual/Analyze/Risk-Profile.html

Probability Analysis https://tlc.tdameritrade.com.sg/center/howToTos/thinkManual/Analyze/Probability-

Analysis.html

Thinkback https://tlc.tdameritrade.com.sg/center/howToTos/thinkManual/Analyze/thinkBack.html

Fundamentals https://tlc.thinkorswim.com/center/howToTos/thinkManual/Analyze/Fundamentals.html

Earnings https://tlc.thinkorswim.com/center/howToTos/thinkManual/Analyze/Earnings.html

3 Charts https://tlc.thinkorswim.com/center/howToTos/thinkManual/charts.html

Chart customisation https://tlc.tdameritrade.com.sg/center/howToTos/thinkManual/charts/Chart-Style-Settings.html

Hope you find it useful

Thank you!