The Final Tape
Post-Trade Review Template
Structured checklist for closing and analyzing completed trades — turn every position into actionable insight
Minimum fields when closing a trade
| Phase | Capture |
|---|---|
| Identity | Setup, symbol, direction, compliance score at close |
| Plan | Planned entry, stop, take profit(s), risk %, chart URL |
| Execution | Actual entry/exit fills, exit type, partial sizes |
| Excursions | MAE, MFE, MAPE, MFPE — pain and peak profit before exit |
| Analysis | Taxonomy tags (planning, entry, execution, exit, context), notes |
| Outcome | Net P&L, realized R-multiple, fee impact |
Step 1 — Basic information
- Status Completed
- Trading setup (required)
- Symbol + direction
- Compliance score
Step 2 — Planned entry & exit strategy
- Planned entry timing + price
- Planned exit strategy (TP + stop)
- Risk % + chart URL
Step 3 — Execution details
- Actual entry + exit fills
- Exit type (stop, TP, manual, trailing, emotional)
- MAE / MFE / MAPE / MFPE
Step 4 — Checklist & analysis
- Planning tags — over-optimistic R:R, unclear invalidation
- Entry tags — slippage, late entry, frontrun
- Execution tags — added to loser, partial fill ignored
- Exit tags — fear exit, held through drawdown, greed hold
- Context tags — high-impact event, revenge trade, regime
Step 5 — Review & submit
- Planned vs actual side by side
- P&L breakdown — gross/net, R, fees, compliance, tags
- Lock trade when accurate
Key questions after every trade
- Did I follow my setup rules? (compliance score matches reality?)
- Was planned R realistic given market conditions?
- Did execution match plan — entry slippage, partial fills, scale-outs?
- Did I exit for a rule-based reason or emotion?
- What did MAE/MFE reveal about stop placement and exit timing?
- What tag best describes the primary leak on this trade?
- Would I take this exact trade again at the same size?
Bad analysis
"Lost $200, market was choppy." No tags, no R, no plan comparison — story from memory, not data.
Good analysis
"−0.8R, 92% compliance, exit tag: fear after MAE hit 1.2R. Planned 2R target never tested. Same pattern as last 4 losers."
Weekly post-trade review (45 min)
- Filter last 20 completed trades; compute avg R by setup and compliance bucket
- Rank top negative exit tag by frequency × R damage
- Write one Kill List item — one testable rule for next week
- Compare compliant-only expectancy vs all trades
R-multiple discipline: From P&L Obsession to R-Multiple Discipline
Kill List workflow: How to Build a Kill List
Minimum journal schema: Why Your Trading Journal Is Lying to You
Full lesson: Lesson 7 — Closing and Analyzing Completed Trades
Log completed trades in the app: Try The Final Tape free