Each month in this Journal, our technical support staff addresses issues of interest to many CSI subscribers in a question and answer format. 

Notice:
  The views and information expressed in this document reflect the opinions and experience of the author Robert C. Pelletier.  Neither CSI nor the author undertake or intend to provide tax advice or trading advice in any market or endorse any outside individual or firm.  All recommendations are provided for their informational value only.  Readers should consult competent financial advisors or outside counsel before making any software purchase or investment decision.  CSI does not stand behind or endorse the products of any outside firms.

Copyright (c) 2002 Commodity Systems Inc. (CSI).  All rights are reserved.

    We have revised the CSI License Agreement and reconfigured the Unfair Advantage pricing for new users. Please visit the CSI website at www.csidata.com to view full pricing details and to become familiar with the revised License Agreement. Here are a few anticipated questions and answers concerning CSI's new rate schedule:

    Our sincere apologies to those Unfair Advantage stock subscribers who experienced an unusually lengthy data distribution on July12th. We strive to avoid delays such as this, and regret the inconvenience.

Q.
    As a longstanding Unfair Advantage customer, how will I be affected by the new rates?

A.
    Personal and private subscribers who signed up before this new price announcement will, in general, be unaffected by the new rate schedule. You will be "grandfathered" in at the old monthly or annual rate, and will have access to the full depth of CSI's historical data reserves. All subscribers (old and new) will, however, be subject to the revised License Agreement, including the new limitations of the number of markets processed each day.

In support of the new rate schedule, the revised CSI License agreement defines "Personal and Private Use," and quantifies what data is available under this subscription type. We have set a threshold of 59 futures or options markets as the maximum for "Personal and Private Use" at the listed rates. All current customers who process a quantity of futures and options markets at or below this threshold fall in the category of "Personal and Private Use." Such users may continue on with the service at no change in rates. Note that there is no limit to the quantity of stocks, funds or indices that may be processed, regardless of account type.

Under the new Agreement and rate schedule, any subscriber who processes 60 or more futures markets (or options) on any day will be charged extra, as either a monthly surcharge, or as a higher monthly service fee according to our new "Professional Edition" rate schedule. 

Q.
    What is the significance of the new 59-futures/option market threshold for Personal and Private Use subscribers?

A.
    We settled on a maximum of 59 futures or options markets because 90% of our current subscribers already stay within this range. To understand the new pricing, you must understand what we mean by "market." CBT Corn is an example of a futures market. Your Unfair Advantage portfolio, export files and API applications could all track every active futures contract plus a host of computed contracts for CBT Corn, and all contracts in that group of data would count as one (1) futures market. You can do the same for 58 other futures markets, such as Comex Gold, NYMEX Light Crude, etc., and still be within the 59-market limit.

Q.
    Does the 59-market limit apply for every chart I make?

A.
    Whether you are a new subscriber on an existing customer, you will not be charged extra for simply viewing or charting 60 or more markets. On the other hand, if those extra markets are identified in portfolios or accessed through MarketScanner or the API, then there will be a charge of $1 per futures market ($10 for options) per month for every market that exceeds 59 on any day during the calendar month. If your market use greatly exceeds 59, it may be to your advantage to change to a Professional Edition account.

Feel free to contact the CSI staff if you have any questions about your account. Thank you for your continued support and patronage.

Q.
    Does CSI's mutual fund data include information on dividends and capital gains?

A.
    Mutual fund data supplied to Personal and Private Use subscribers of Unfair Advantage has been adjusted to reflect dividend and capital gains information, but these adjustments are not displayed individually. CSI's commercial accounts, which are serviced through mainframe-to-mainframe FTP transfers, receive specific listings for dividends and capital gains, but at substantially higher prices. If you would like more information on FTP transfers, please contact a CSI Commercial Services representative at (800) 274-4727 or (561) 392-8663.