Is CashFlow Engine financial advice?

No. The Engine is analytics and educational software. It issues no buy or sell recommendations, never holds or manages your money, and the order of a sorted column reflects the statistic you sorted by — not a suggestion. Your account, your decisions, your responsibility.

Does the Engine trade for me?

No. Blueprint is the design workbench: browse, build, stress-test, compare, export. Execution happens in your own tooling — for example via the OptionsApp export and your own broker connection.

Do I need to install anything?

No — the Engine runs in the browser. You can install it as an app on your phone from the browser's share menu if you want the full-screen version.

Can I use my own backtests in the Engine?

Yes. Import them as CSV and they become first-class strategies under the Mine scope, with computed metrics, mixing freely with the database in the Portfolio Builder.

Where does the backtest data come from and how current is it?

Backtests run on second-level SPX 0DTE options data from May 2022 onward, and the whole strategy grid is re-scored weekly. The Data-through pill in the Strategy Browser shows exactly which trading day you're seeing.

Are the backtest results after fees?

Catalog figures are modeled P&L per contract, net of commissions and modeled slippage — and hypothetical throughout. Past performance, simulated or real, does not indicate future results.

Why do METF strategies have less history than MEIC?

The trend signal METF depends on starts in February 2023, so METF variants are graded from there. Same data, honest difference.

Which strategy should I trade?

That's the one question the Engine deliberately won't answer. What it will do is show you which candidates survive scrutiny: long backtest periods, a confirming parameter neighbourhood (Confluence), and a Monte Carlo stress test you could sit through.

Why shouldn't I just take the top of the list?

Because with a catalog this size, something always tops any sort by luck alone. We publish the demonstration: a top-10 in-sample cohort earning $96.23/day in-sample went on to earn $3.33/day out-of-sample. Filter for robustness with Confluence and the Deep Dive panel instead of chasing the single best row.

How many strategies should a portfolio hold?

There's no magic number. The useful question is whether your picks are uncorrelated — the Portfolio Builder's correlation view answers that, and two strategies that move together are one bet wearing two hats.

What is a good MAR ratio?

As a rough reading of the Engine's badge colors: 2.5 and above is excellent, 2.0 good, 1.5 okay. But a great MAR on 40 trades is a rumor — always check the trade count and the window length before believing any ratio.

All plansUpdated July 17, 2026

FAQ

The questions new Engine users actually ask — about the data, the strategies, what the tool does and deliberately doesn't do.

The questions new Engine users actually ask, answered directly. Each answer is self-contained; the linked pages underneath go deeper.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CashFlow Engine financial advice?: No. The Engine is analytics and educational software. It issues no buy or sell recommendations, never holds or manages your money, and the order of a sorted column reflects the statistic you sorted by — not a suggestion. Your account, your decisions, your responsibility.
Does the Engine trade for me?: No. Blueprint is the design workbench: browse, build, stress-test, compare, export. Execution happens in your own tooling — for example via the OptionsApp export and your own broker connection.
Do I need to install anything?: No — the Engine runs in the browser. You can install it as an app on your phone from the browser's share menu if you want the full-screen version.
Can I use my own backtests in the Engine?: Yes. Import them as CSV and they become first-class strategies under the Mine scope, with computed metrics, mixing freely with the database in the Portfolio Builder.
Where does the backtest data come from and how current is it?: Backtests run on second-level SPX 0DTE options data from May 2022 onward, and the whole strategy grid is re-scored weekly. The Data-through pill in the Strategy Browser shows exactly which trading day you're seeing.
Are the backtest results after fees?: Catalog figures are modeled P&L per contract, net of commissions and modeled slippage — and hypothetical throughout. Past performance, simulated or real, does not indicate future results.
Why do METF strategies have less history than MEIC?: The trend signal METF depends on starts in February 2023, so METF variants are graded from there. Same data, honest difference.
Which strategy should I trade?: That's the one question the Engine deliberately won't answer. What it will do is show you which candidates survive scrutiny: long backtest periods, a confirming parameter neighbourhood (Confluence), and a Monte Carlo stress test you could sit through.
Why shouldn't I just take the top of the list?: Because with a catalog this size, something always tops any sort by luck alone. We publish the demonstration: a top-10 in-sample cohort earning $96.23/day in-sample went on to earn $3.33/day out-of-sample. Filter for robustness with Confluence and the Deep Dive panel instead of chasing the single best row.
How many strategies should a portfolio hold?: There's no magic number. The useful question is whether your picks are uncorrelated — the Portfolio Builder's correlation view answers that, and two strategies that move together are one bet wearing two hats.
What is a good MAR ratio?: As a rough reading of the Engine's badge colors: 2.5 and above is excellent, 2.0 good, 1.5 okay. But a great MAR on 40 trades is a rumor — always check the trade count and the window length before believing any ratio.

Go deeper

The answers above compress pages that exist in full: Data & Methodology · Min Thresholds & Confluence · The Deep Dive panel · Stress Testing · Importing your data · Install on your phone

Still stuck?

Ask in Discord — the link is under Community & Support in the Engine's sidebar, open on every plan.