The Final Tape
Trading journal playbook
Practical guides on compliance, R-multiples, prop risk, and weekly review — with DIY spreadsheet workflows you can run this week.
Start here
Four articles in order: what to log, when spreadsheets break, how to review in R, then the weekly loop.
- Part 1Why Most Trading Journals Lie to You (And How to Actually Improve Your Edge)
- Part 2Trading Journal vs Spreadsheet: When Excel Stops Being Enough (2026 Guide)
- Part 3R-Multiple Trading: Why P&L Lies and How to Review Trades in R
- Part 4How to Build a Trading Journal That Actually Improves Your Edge (Step-by-Step)
Why Most Trading Journals Lie to You (And How to Actually Improve Your Edge)
Win rate rising while expectancy stays flat? Minimum journal schema, compliance bands, tag ranking, and the exact 45-minute weekly review — works in Excel or any app.
How to Build a Trading Journal That Actually Improves Your Edge (Step-by-Step)
142 trades logged, edge still flat? The exact 2-minute daily protocol, 45-minute weekly loop, four-week ORB example, and 30-day bootstrap to turn storage into a system.
The 1% Rule for Prop Traders: Why Most Still Breach It (And How to Fix It)
Thought you were at 1% but still got flagged? Static vs compounding, the 1.22% oversize example, 3-line sizing formula, journal setup, and a 7-day lock-in checklist.
Best Trading Journal for Prop Traders: Track Rules & Compliance, Not Just P&L
Passed eval, failed funded? Six essential fields, a journal scorecard, compliance-and-size drift example, spreadsheet vs software comparison, and the 45-minute review that keeps you funded.
Trading Journal vs Spreadsheet: When Excel Stops Being Enough (2026 Guide)
Formula drift after 100+ trades? Real breakdown example, nine columns that survive, seven failure modes, spreadsheet vs dedicated journal comparison, 14-day migration path, and printable checklist.
Trading Kill List: How to Build an Evidence-Based Performance Fix List (With AI)
Eight common leaks with detection methods, Kill List scoring matrix, monthly forensic workflow, 7-day action plan, AI Council multi-agent review, and printable starter kit checklist.
R-Multiple Trading: Why P&L Lies and How to Review Trades in R
Green P&L week, negative R edge? 68% win-rate example, expectancy by hand, 30-minute review process, 14-day discipline plan, and printable R-multiple review template.