Updated: 23 October 2026

Getting started

What is WealthLab 9?

WealthLab 9 is a Windows platform for developing, backtesting, optimizing, and automating trading strategies. Build strategies visually with Building Blocks, write them in C#, or use AI-assisted tools. WealthLab has been developed and refined since 2000.

What's new in WealthLab 9?

Highlights include an AI Strategy Generator, integration with AI assistants through an MCP interface, rolling-window backtest analysis, expanded Position Metrics, the Rotation Strategy Evolver, and improvements to automated order management. Explore the Features page and Download WealthLab 9.

Can I try WealthLab before purchasing?

Yes. WealthLab 9 offers a 14-day free trial. Download the installer from the Download page. If you need assistance with your trial, contact support.

Do I need to know C# to use WealthLab?

No. Building Blocks let you create strategies visually. You can also generate strategies with AI or write C# strategies for complete control.

What are the system requirements?

WealthLab runs on 64-bit Windows. Windows 11 is recommended, along with at least 16 GB RAM (32 GB or more recommended). The standard WealthLab 9 installer includes the required .NET components; a smaller Lite installer is available if you already have .NET 10 installed. See the Download page.

How do I contact support?

Use Discussions to ask a public question. For private files, account matters, or sales questions, email support@wealth-lab.com.

Accounts, licenses, and billing

How do I activate my license?

Sign in to WealthLab with the same account used for your purchase, then use Help > Download My License. You can review purchases on My Purchases.

Can I install WealthLab on both my desktop and laptop?

A subscription can be used on up to two computers. If replacing a computer causes an activation issue, contact support and we'll help resolve it.

What subscription plans are available?

WealthLab offers Monthly, Annual, and Premium subscription options. See Subscription Plans for current pricing and plan details.

What is the Lifetime License?

The Lifetime License gives you perpetual use of WealthLab, including two years of maintenance and updates with the initial purchase. When maintenance expires, your lifetime license remains yours; continued access to newer builds requires maintenance renewal. You can see your maintenance end date on My Purchases.

How do I upgrade or change my subscription?

Sign in, open My Purchases, and select Manage Subscription to view the available changes in the billing portal. Any applicable prorated adjustment is shown during the change process.

How do I cancel a subscription?

Go to My Purchases, select Manage Subscription, and use the cancellation option in the billing portal. Check the confirmation for the date your subscription ends.

How do I move WealthLab to a new computer?

Install WealthLab on the new computer and download your license from the Help menu. If you encounter a device-limit issue, contact support.

Backtesting and strategy development

Why do repeated backtests sometimes produce different results?

If a strategy generates more candidate trades than the simulated buying power can support, WealthLab may have to choose among competing entries. Check the NSF Positions metric. Reducing position size or assigning Transaction.Weight to prioritize candidates can make results more consistent.

What are NSF Positions?

NSF means Not Sufficient Funds. These are hypothetical positions that could not be filled because the simulation lacked sufficient cash or buying power. Strategy Settings lets you control whether NSF positions are retained for analysis. Watch the explanation.

Why are my backtest trades all losing money?

Check your commission and slippage settings against the position sizes being traded. A high minimum commission can overwhelm small trades. Also verify your entry/exit rules, market assumptions, and data.

Can WealthLab backtest stop and limit orders on the same bar?

With only OHLC data, the exact sequence of prices within a bar is unknown. Intraday data and Use Granular Limit/Stop Processing in Advanced Strategy Settings can provide a more realistic evaluation, but cannot guarantee historical fill behavior.

Why doesn't the displayed profit exactly match my calculation?

The Positions tab may display prices rounded to two decimals while the backtester calculates with full precision. Commissions, slippage, and fractional-share settings can also account for differences.

Can I test a strategy using more than one currency?

Yes. Open Backtest Preferences (F12), enable Multi-Currency, and choose a base currency. See the in-app Help for details.

Can I optimize position size?

Yes. You can optimize position-sizing parameters or, in a coded strategy, assign a custom transaction quantity.

Why do optimization results differ from an ordinary backtest?

Some strategies are not safe to execute in parallel, particularly when they use shared static state. Try a non-parallel optimizer and check the strategy's initialization and indicator start indexes. See the discussion.

Can I create Rotation Strategies with custom indicators or filters?

Yes. Rotation Strategies support ranking indicators and additional conditions. WealthLab 9 also includes the Rotation Strategy Evolver to explore and evolve ranking approaches.

Data and historical accuracy

What is Wealth-Data?

Wealth-Data provides curated end-of-day market history and dynamic historical index DataSets. It includes historical index constituents so portfolio backtests can avoid the common mistake of testing only today's surviving companies.

Why does a Nasdaq 100 historical DataSet contain more than 100 symbols?

A historical DataSet includes companies that belonged to the index in the past, including those later removed. WealthLab selects the appropriate constituents at each historical point rather than applying today's membership retroactively. Read about survivorship bias.

Is Wealth-Data dividend-adjusted?

Regular cash dividends are not incorporated into adjusted prices. Special dividends and other dilutive corporate actions are reflected in historical adjustments. Configure dividend handling in your backtest settings as appropriate.

How do I fix an incorrect price bar?

First try Reload chart data from provider on the affected chart. For broader issues, use the Data Manager's Data Integrity and Data Truncation tools, or clear and refresh the affected provider's local data.

What happens if a historical data provider is unavailable?

You can configure multiple historical providers and their priority in Data Manager. WealthLab's Data Valet can try a lower-priority provider if a preferred source cannot supply the data.

What does “Historical Index Exit” mean?

An open position may be liquidated when its symbol leaves a dynamic historical index, or when the required price history is unavailable for an extended period. Check the DataSet's membership history and the underlying data.

What do Wealth-Data delisted symbol suffixes mean?

Delisted symbols use the form SYM.YYYYMMDD.Z, with the final code indicating the event: A acquired/merged, C Chapter 11, P taken private, R recapitalization, U unknown, and S split-reverse handling.

Automated trading and extensions

Which brokers can I connect to WealthLab?

WealthLab supports brokerage and market-data integrations through extensions, including Interactive Brokers, TradeStation, Schwab, Tradier, Alpaca, Binance, and other providers. Features vary by extension and broker. Browse the Extensions catalog for currently supported integrations.

Should I use the Quotes window or Strategy Monitor for auto-trading?

The Quotes window is useful for monitoring and triggering individual stop/limit signals. Strategy Monitor is designed to monitor and trade strategies across DataSets, including daily and intraday workflows.

How do I save my Strategy Monitor setup?

Save your configuration in a Workspace so you can restore it later.

Can I run multiple strategies that trade the same symbol in one broker account?

Yes, but synchronization requires care because brokers typically report an aggregate position per symbol rather than separate holdings per strategy. Review Preferences > Trading > Portfolio Sync, order sizing, and the strategies' starting positions before enabling automated trading.

How do I install or remove extensions?

Use WealthLab's extension management features and the Extensions catalog. Unused extensions can generally be removed without affecting strategies that do not depend on them; check dependencies before uninstalling.

Programming and AI

Can I write strategies in C#?

Yes. WealthLab's C# API supports custom strategies, indicators, position sizing, and extensions. Start with the in-app Help and the API Reference.

Can AI help me create or test a strategy?

Yes. WealthLab 9 includes an AI Strategy Generator and supports AI-assistant integration through MCP, allowing supported assistants to work with strategy code and backtests. Always review generated code and evaluate results out of sample.

Where can I learn C#?

A free introductory resource is C# Yellow Book by Rob Miles. The WealthLab Discussions community can also help with WealthLab-specific programming questions.