The Final Tape
Trade Entry Checklist
Pre-entry psychology + minimum log fields — run before every Active Trade submit
Psychology + setup validation
- Not entering from revenge, FOMO, or post-loss tilt
- Last three trades were not emotional overrides — pause if they were
- Setup matches what you actually see — not a generic label
- Stop is at invalidation, not a comfort distance
Minimum fields at entry
| Field | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Trading setup | Named setup object — drives setup-level expectancy |
| Symbol + direction | Exchange-filtered symbol, Long or Short |
| Planned entry / stop / TP | Prices defined before outcome color |
| Risk % | Matches portfolio default from Lesson 4 unless tagged override |
| Compliance score | Checklist completed at entry — not scored after P&L |
| Entry time | Planned or actual — stored UTC, shown local |
Step 1 — Basic information
- Setup, symbol, status Active, side, compliance checklist
Step 2 — Entry & exit strategy
- Entry time, planned prices, risk %, optional multi-TP (100% total), chart URL
Step 3 — Review & submit
- Verify compliance recap, R:R, dollar risk, portfolio active — then Submit
Common entry mistakes
- Post-hoc logging from memory after the close
- Scoring compliance after P&L color
- Wrong active portfolio (mixed prop + personal)
- TP allocations not totaling 100%
- Skipping Step 3 review when metrics flag errors
Minimum schema deep dive: Why Your Trading Journal Is Lying to You
Full lesson: Lesson 5 — Entering an Active Trade
Structured entry at submit: Try The Final Tape free