Do a bit of homework on Technical Analysis MACD, BB, SAR, Mov Avg, RSI, etc... it is not difficult to get 4% return. getting the 20% return year after year is the tough part.
If direct use of a handful of simple statistics could get a risk-free 4% return, wouldn't automated trading have arbitraged that out by now? My impression is that the quants now have to rely on much more complex models than the traditional technical analysis statistics to get any sort of reliable return.
y complicate things... one parameter added to a model = much permutations, a lot of risk is undertaken. if i can make a penny a millisecond with one machine, over time the course of one year how much i make in one year with just 5 machines, it really adds up.