How Three Simple Exit Levels Protected Us — Before Everything Dropped

January 15, 2026•2 min read

Three days.

That’s all it took.

On November 16th, I emailed a friend a simple set of exit prices — the same framework our ILAM members use every day through the When to Buy and When to Sell white papers.

No predictions.

No market calls.

Just the rules.

Here’s exactly what I sent him:

“Exit anything that hits the first major weakness trigger from our ILAM exit framework.”

Then I listed the levels:

• MSFT — $507

• AMZN — $237

• COST — $922

And for VOO:

• Stop level — $616

I told him clearly:

“If price goes below these numbers, I’m out.”

Three days later?

Every one of them broke down.

Some lightly, some sharply — but all decisively.

This is exactly why our members swear by the ILAM white papers.

Because once you understand the system, exits stop being emotional… and start being obvious.

Why This Matters (And Why It Keeps Working)

Most traders stay in losing trades because they don’t know when a healthy chart becomes a weak one.

They wait.

They hope.

They negotiate with themselves.

But the rules don’t hesitate.

If you have five to twenty stocks in your account right now, this alone can save you from unnecessary damage. Our members use these levels to set automated exit orders that trigger before the real pain begins. You can test the full system for $149 and get the white papers that walk you through the exact rules we use to avoid major losses. It’s simple. It’s structured. And it protects you when the selling hits fast.

Exactly what happened here.

Three days after those emails, every stock on that list slipped below their levels — validating the exits before bigger losses appeared.

That’s not luck.

That’s not timing the market.

That’s structure.