Trade JournalRisk Management
Trade Journal Questions for Risk Management
Risk management is the foundation of trading longevity. These journal questions help you track your risk per trade, evaluate stop loss placement, assess reward-to-risk ratios, and ensure you're protecting capital while pursuing profits.
📈 Why Track Risk Management in Your Trading Journal?
- ✓Ensure consistent position sizing across trades
- ✓Evaluate if stop losses are placed correctly
- ✓Track actual vs planned risk per trade
- ✓Identify if you're risking too much or too little
- ✓Build evidence for optimal risk parameters
1
Position Sizing
Track risk amount and sizing decisions
1What percentage of my account did I risk on this trade?
2Was this risk based on: Structure / Volatility (ATR) / Fixed %?
3How did this position size feel emotionally? (Too big / Comfortable / Too small)
4Was my risk aligned with the setup quality (A/B/C trade)?
5Did I add to or reduce position during the trade?
6If I lost this trade, can I trade tomorrow normally?
2
Stop Loss Analysis
Evaluate stop placement and execution
1Where was my stop and why?
2Was my stop based on structure or arbitrary level?
3Did I move my stop? Why?
4Was my stop too tight (hit before thesis invalidated)?
5Was my stop too wide (excessive risk)?
6Did I honor my stop or remove it?
3
Risk/Reward Evaluation
Assess trade quality from risk perspective
1What was my planned risk/reward ratio?
2What was my actual risk/reward ratio?
3Was the potential reward worth the risk?
4Did I cut winners short or let losers run?
5How does this trade's R:R compare to my average?
6Should I have taken this trade based on R:R alone?
4
Portfolio Risk
Monitor overall exposure
1What is my total portfolio risk right now?
2Am I correlated (same direction trades)?
3What's my maximum drawdown this week/month?
4Am I scaling risk appropriately with account size?
5Do I have a daily/weekly loss limit?
6Did I hit any risk limits today?
💡 Tips for Better Risk Management Journaling
→Calculate risk in currency AND percentage before every trade
→Use ATR to size stops relative to volatility
→Risk less on lower confidence setups
→Review weekly: total risk taken vs outcomes
→Never risk more than you can emotionally handle losing
📋 Ready-to-Use Risk Management Journal Template
## Risk Management Journal **Date:** ___________ **Account Balance:** $___________ **Max Risk Per Trade:** ___% **Daily Loss Limit:** $___________ ### Trade Risk Log | Trade | Risk $ | Risk % | Stop Based On | R:R Planned | R:R Actual | Position Size Feel | |-------|--------|--------|---------------|-------------|------------|-------------------| | 1 | | | | | | Big/OK/Small | | 2 | | | | | | Big/OK/Small | ### Risk Analysis - Total risk taken today: $_____ (___%) - Maximum concurrent risk: $_____ - Stop placement quality (1-5): ___ - Position sizing quality (1-5): ___ ### End of Day - Did I stay within risk limits? Y / N - Biggest risk management win: ___________ - Biggest risk management error: ___________
Copy this template into your trading journal or note-taking app. Customize it to fit your trading style.
📓 Built-In Trade Journal in VaultCharts
VaultCharts includes a powerful trade journaling feature with customizable templates including risk management tracking. Attach notes directly to your charts and track your progress over time.
📝
Pre-Trade Notes
Document your thesis
📊
Linked to Charts
Notes attached to positions
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