Time-in-Force
An instruction attached to an order that specifies how long the order remains active before it is executed or automatically canceled.
Explained Simply
Time-in-force (TIF) tells your broker how long to keep an unexecuted order open. The most common types are: DAY (order expires at market close if unfilled), GTC (Good 'Til Canceled — stays open until filled or manually canceled, typically up to 90 days), IOC (Immediate or Cancel — fill what you can immediately, cancel the rest), FOK (Fill or Kill — fill the entire order immediately or cancel it all), and GTX (Good 'Til Extended — valid through extended-hours trading). Choosing the right TIF is important: a DAY order on a limit buy ensures you don't accidentally buy at a gap-up the next morning, while GTC is useful for patient entries at specific price levels. IOC and FOK are used by algorithmic traders who need precise execution control.
How Tradewink Uses Time-in-Force
Tradewink's TradeExecutor sets appropriate time-in-force instructions based on the strategy type. Day trading orders use DAY TIF to ensure all positions are resolved within the session. The SmartExecutor uses IOC for its VWAP/TWAP slicing algorithms, canceling any unfilled portion of each slice to maintain execution control. Stop-loss orders are submitted as GTC to ensure they remain active across sessions until the position is closed.
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See Time-in-Force in action
Tradewink uses time-in-force as part of its AI trading signal pipeline. Start getting signals that use this concept to find real opportunities.