All lessons
Capstone: write your trading plan
Let’s put the pieces into one page another person could understand. A usable plan includes the trades you will refuse.
Assemble a complete demo plan and an honest evidence review.
Your capstone is a written decision system, not a profit target. State the learning objective, instrument, product, venue checks, available session and data source. Explain the costs and the limits of your information.
Specify one setup: context, entry trigger, invalidation, stop, exit and expiry. Add position sizing, maximum combined exposure, loss-limit and pause rules. Include news, outages and ambiguous data as explicit no-trade conditions.
Attach a chronological demo sample, including losses and valid no-trades. Report net results, drawdown, rule adherence and unresolved questions. Ask whether another learner could reproduce your decisions. Completion demonstrates understanding of the process; it does not certify profitability or readiness for leveraged live trading.
Let’s use numbers · hypothetical example
A hypothetical worksheet uses a $1,000 demo balance, a chosen $5 planned loss budget and a 25-pip stop. At $0.20 per pip, the price-risk component is $5 before costs. To keep total planned risk within $5, reduce size or reserve an allowance for costs.
Keep in mind
A passing quiz or profitable sample is not a licence, professional qualification or promise of income. Stops can still slip.
Your turn
Submit your plan, sizing worksheet and twenty consecutive demo decisions. Explain one failure and one improvement to test next.
A quick check before we move on
What is the capstone's strongest evidence?
- Only screenshots of winners
- A reproducible plan with complete records and stated limitations
- A guaranteed monthly income target
Check answer
A reproducible plan with complete records and stated limitations Transparent rules and complete records support learning while showing what remains unproven.
Sources and further reading
- www.cmegroup.com/education/courses/trade-and-risk-management/proper-position-size
- www.cftc.gov/LearnAndProtect/AdvisoriesAndArticles/CustomerAdvisory_MustKnowForex.html
Content reviewed: 29 October 2026
Educational material with hypothetical examples. Trading can cause substantial losses. A course, pattern, stop order or past result cannot guarantee a profit or limit every loss. Practise in simulation and check current rules and product terms in your jurisdiction.
