Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Warren — from getting started to VIX alerts, billing, and EU alternatives.

Getting Started

What is Warren?
Warren is a DCA (Dollar Cost Averaging) tool for the QQQ ETF with a powerful VIX-based extra deployment system. You invest a fixed amount weekly or monthly, and when VIX spikes above your thresholds, you deploy extra capital to capture the historical edge of buying during fear.
How do I actually buy QQQ or the Nasdaq-100?

You buy QQQ through any brokerage account that offers US stock trading:

  1. Open a brokerage account — Interactive Brokers, Charles Schwab, Fidelity, E*Trade, Robinhood, or any broker that offers US equities.
  2. Search for ticker "QQQ" — This is the Invesco QQQ Trust, the most liquid Nasdaq-100 ETF.
  3. Place a market or limit order — Warren tells you the dollar amount to invest. Divide that by QQQ's current price to know how many shares to buy (or use fractional shares if your broker supports it).
  4. Set up recurring purchases — Many brokers let you automate weekly or monthly buys, so your base DCA runs hands-off.

Warren does not place trades for you — it tells you exactly how much to invest and when, so you stay in control.

I'm in Europe and can't buy QQQ — what ETF should I use?

Due to EU regulations (MiFID II / PRIIPs), most European retail investors cannot buy US-domiciled ETFs like QQQ because they lack a UCITS KID document. But there are excellent EU-domiciled alternatives that track the exact same index (Nasdaq-100):

ETF NameTickerISINTER
Invesco EQQQ Nasdaq-100 UCITS ETFEQQQIE00320770120.30%
iShares Nasdaq 100 UCITS ETFCNDXIE00B53SZB190.33%
Xtrackers Nasdaq 100 UCITS ETFXNASLU14425667530.20%
Amundi Nasdaq-100 UCITS ETFPNQILU16810435990.22%

Which one to pick? They all track the same Nasdaq-100 index. EQQQ is the most widely known and has the longest track record. XNAS and PNQI have the lowest fees (TER 0.20–0.22%). All are available on major European exchanges (XETRA, Euronext, LSE) through brokers like Saxo Bank, Degiro, Interactive Brokers, Trade Republic, and Scalable Capital.

Warren's alerts reference QQQ prices, but the Nasdaq-100 moves virtually identically regardless of which wrapper you hold. Use the EU ETF for buying; use Warren for signals. The historical returns and VIX edge apply equally.

Does Warren execute trades for me?
No. Warren provides recommendations — you still place the trades yourself through your broker. The tool tells you exactly how much to invest each period and when to deploy VIX-triggered extra capital.
How much should I set as my Base Amount?
Your Base Amount is your normal investment per period — the amount you would invest with traditional DCA. Common values are $100–$1,000 per week or $500–$5,000 per month, but it depends entirely on your personal financial situation and investment goals.

Strategy & VIX Alerts

What is the VIX Panic Deployment System?
When the VIX fear index spikes at or above your configured thresholds (25, 30, 35), Warren alerts you to deploy extra capital into QQQ. Historical data shows VIX ≥ 35 delivers +46.9% average 12-month returns with a 100% win rate. Only the highest applicable threshold triggers — amounts do not stack.
Do VIX deployment amounts stack?
No. If VIX is at 36, it is also above 30 and 25 — but only the highest applicable threshold (35) fires. You deploy the amount set for VIX ≥ 35, not the sum of all three.
When exactly do VIX alert emails arrive?

The cron job runs every trading day at market close (5:00 PM). VIX alerts fire on any day — they are completely independent from your DCA schedule. Here's a full week scenario:

DayVIXEmail sent
Mon22—
Tue28 ⚡✅ VIX Alert: Deploy $200
Wed27 ⚡✅ VIX Alert: Deploy $200
Thu26 ⚡✅ VIX Alert: Deploy $200
Fri27 ⚡✅ DCA + VIX: $500 + $200 = $700

Key points:

  • The Friday DCA email is not affected by earlier VIX alerts — it evaluates fresh using Friday's VIX reading.
  • There is no deduplication — if VIX stays above threshold Mon–Fri, a weekly user gets up to 4 separate VIX alerts + Friday's combined DCA+VIX email = 5 emails that week.
  • The Friday email shows the full combined amount ($500 base + $200 VIX). It does not subtract what was already alerted on Tuesday.
  • If VIX drops back below threshold by Friday, you simply get a normal DCA reminder with no VIX extra.
How often does VIX spike?
Historically (1999–2026 data): VIX ≥ 25 fires about 2.5× per year on monthly closes (9.7× on weekly closes). VIX ≥ 30 fires about 1.1× per year monthly (4.4× weekly). VIX ≥ 35 fires about 0.5× per year monthly (2.4× weekly). Note: the cron checks VIX every trading day, so actual alert counts may be higher than these period-end statistics.
How much extra cash should I keep in reserve for VIX deployments?
Warren includes a VIX Frequency Estimator on the dashboard that calculates this automatically. Based on 27 years of historical data, it estimates how many times each threshold will trigger per year at your chosen frequency (weekly or monthly), then multiplies by your configured amounts to give you the estimated annual reserve needed.
Should I choose weekly or monthly DCA?
Weekly DCA gives you 52 entry points per year, which smooths your cost basis more aggressively and can slightly improve returns. Monthly DCA is simpler — 12 buys per year. Both work well. Choose weekly if you prefer finer granularity and have a broker with low/no commissions; choose monthly if you want fewer trades. You can change your frequency anytime.

Billing & Membership

How much does Warren cost?
Warren is $50/year. The fee is locked at the price when you sign up — if the price increases in the future, existing members keep their original rate. You can pay securely via Stripe using any major credit or debit card.
How do I cancel my membership?
You can cancel anytime from your Dashboard → Manage Subscription (via Stripe Customer Portal). Your membership remains active until the end of your current billing period. After that, you will no longer receive DCA reminders or VIX alerts.
What happens if I do not renew?
After your membership expires, you receive a warning email with a 7-day grace period to renew. If you do not renew within 37 days, your account and all associated data are permanently deleted. We do not keep your data — it is fully erased.
Do you offer refunds?
All payments are processed by Stripe. If you are unsatisfied within the first 30 days, contact us at [email protected] for a full refund. After 30 days, the annual fee is non-refundable, but you can cancel to prevent the next renewal.
Can I try Warren before paying?
Yes — sign up and you will be redirected to the payment page, but you can explore the full backtester, strategy page, and FAQ without paying. The membership unlocks the dashboard with personalized DCA + VIX alerts delivered to your email.

Technical & Security

Does the backtest include dividend reinvestment?
Yes. All backtests simulate QQQ dividend reinvestment (compounding) using historical dividend yields. This means every dollar deployed — including VIX-triggered extra capital — earns and reinvests dividends automatically.
Is my data secure?
Your account uses hashed passwords (bcrypt) and JWT-based sessions. Your settings and history are stored in an isolated per-user profile. We never share or sell your data.
Is this financial advice?
Absolutely not. Warren is an educational tool. The strategy presented is based on historical analysis and does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including potential loss of principal. Always consult a qualified financial advisor.

Important

Warren is an educational tool, not financial advice. ETF selection, broker choice, and investment decisions are yours alone. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor.

Still have questions?

Get Started