Editor’s Note: Investing can be a minefield, making the right buy or sell decision feel overwhelming. TradeSmith CEO Keith Kaplan has navigated this complexity with great success.

To enhance his investing strategies, Keith created software designed to pinpoint optimal buying and selling moments for stocks.

In his guest essay today, Keith recounts a remarkable experience where his system safeguarded his investments before the COVID market downturn in 2020 and facilitated wealth accumulation during the subsequent recovery.

After reading this, you may be interested in attending Keith’s event on Thursday, February 27 at 8 p.m. Eastern, titled The Last Melt-Up. During this session, he will explain how his system operates and share insights on a rare market pattern last witnessed just three times over the past 125 years. Click here to register for your free spot.

Now, let’s hear from Keith as he unveils the alert that saved his investments…

It was an incredibly challenging time in my career, yet I managed to save my portfolio!

Back in early 2020, I traveled to Florida for a gathering with 50 fellow investors, each presenting their top investment ideas.

As numerous colleagues shared optimistic views of the market, I took a different approach. When it was my turn to speak, I remarked, “I sold almost all my stocks last Friday.”

Unsurprisingly, my message wasn’t well-received.

I urged attendees to safeguard their investments and to inform their subscribers of an impending bear market. I backed my assertions with evidence indicating we were on the cusp of a remarkably swift bear market—one that would likely catch many off guard and undermine years of wealth building.

Despite presenting solid proof, I was met with laughter and skepticism. Not one person appeared willing to heed my warnings, likely because the CNN Fear and Greed Index was indicating extreme levels of greed at that moment.

Why would they want to listen to a bearish forecast?

However, those who followed my system’s advice managed to preserve their portfolios and increased their wealth when it signaled the right time to reinvest.

Over the past 20 years, we’ve enhanced our system even further…

Currently, we’re nearing a pivotal change in the market, an opportunity for you to get ahead while others rely on outdated indicators.

The Alert That Saved My Portfolio

I can recall it vividly.

On Friday, February 27, I received a significant bearish alert from our system.

It practically screamed, “Run for cover and sell your stocks.”

At that time, I knew little about COVID-19, nor could I predict how the markets would react to it.

Nonetheless, I had faith in our system. Thus, I sold nearly all my stocks the next day.

A brief family outing to Target over the weekend revealed the onset of panic buying, marking a collective shift in behavior. We encountered a woman with a cart overflowing with Clorox wipes, a sign of the panic settling in.

Despite the surrounding anxiety, I felt assured about my investments.

Our system’s alerts emerge from proprietary algorithms we’ve developed and refined over the years. These algorithms assess momentum as well as short- and long-term trends, making them strikingly precise.

Take a look at the five most recent market declines leading up to that day…

A great deal has shifted since that time. We witnessed not only the quickest onset of a bear market in history but also experienced one of the swiftest recoveries.