Researching how Trader's track/journal their trades

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despreston

Hey everyone, I'm building a web platform with a friend of mine to replace the spreadsheet that I have been using for a while to track my own trades/performance. Every online trading journal out there is either overly expensive, too simplistic, or overly complex for the retail trader. If you have a couple minutes can you answer the two questions below?

  1. If you're using a spreadsheet, what do you track inside your spreadsheet? (columns or formulas you have)

  2. If someone created a completely free platform to journal trades that was able to track every bit of data you currently track + provide some additional analysis for the retail trader's portfolio, how likely would you be to try it out for at least 30 days?
Thanks again everyone!
 
Besides the obvious info I use for tax purposes I also have columns for Set up, (What type of setup I used to enter the trade, I only have 4) and Plan (Whether I followed my trading plan; either yes or no)

I can manipulate the data to calculate win/loss percentage overall and by setup. Planned and actual risk reward. All sorts of averages (risk /trade; wins; loss; trades per week; etc.) I also calculate income per trade, per month, per year and percent return.

I doubt I would use a free platform as the spreadsheet I have developed has the information I believe is important to me.
 
I have a spreadsheet just for tracking what would have happened to the trade. I keep it simple with a couple of different stops and a few different targets. Then I have formulas set up to calculate what my PnL would be had I used that same set of R:R (ie. just add up the columns of different stops and targets).

So often, I see that after entry, my management of the trade isn't so good. For every time that I think I save money cause I close it out at breakeven, I see an equal amount of trades that hit their target eventually.
 
despreston said:
Hey everyone, I'm building a web platform with a friend of mine to replace the spreadsheet that I have been using for a while to track my own trades/performance. Every online trading journal out there is either overly expensive, too simplistic, or overly complex for the retail trader. If you have a couple minutes can you answer the two questions below?

  1. If you're using a spreadsheet, what do you track inside your spreadsheet? (columns or formulas you have)

  2. If someone created a completely free platform to journal trades that was able to track every bit of data you currently track + provide some additional analysis for the retail trader's portfolio, how likely would you be to try it out for at least 30 days?
Thanks again everyone!
More...
Take a look at Trading Journal Spreadsheet, they have examples of what is offered, columns, formulas and is customizable. Have used it for years and adapted to my business plans, methods and brokers. The needed output is anything you want as it is Excel spreadsheet.
I think offering something like that were the retail trader can choose what they do and do not need would be great for different levels of experience and needs.

I can see how that may be useful to a trader who currently does not track or journal and those who are new and don't want to spend the money for those programs currently available.
I started with Open Office and grew into tracking much more.
Do you plan on keeping the data private and anonymously compile the statistics for analysis for your needs or for sharing in a community type environment?
Nothing is free, so do you plan to make money with the data, advertising a combination of the two or a free month teaser moving to a monthly fee?
 
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