What should a beginner's pre-trade checklist contain?

A pre-trade checklist turns vague good intentions into a repeatable gate. Most checklists have the same core: calendar checked, setup valid, size calculated, stop placed, reason written.

What should a beginner's pre-trade checklist contain? — risk-reward diagram
A risk-reward ratio of 1 to 2

What's on yours?

  • the exact items, in order
  • which item has saved you most often
  • what you'd add for a beginner
What should a beginner's pre-trade checklist contain? — candlestick anatomy diagram
The parts of a candlestick: wick, body, open and close

The position sizing guide and order types guide provide two of the items.

Background: Position sizing: how to risk a fixed percentage per trade

How much you trade matters more than where you enter. A step-by-step method for sizing positions from your stop-loss and the amount you are willing to lose.

How do I calculate lot size from risk?

Divide the amount you are willing to lose by the stop distance in pips multiplied by the pip value per lot. For $50 risk, a 25-pip stop and $10 per pip per lot, that is 0.20 lots.

What is the 1% rule in trading?

A guideline to risk no more than 1% of the account on any single trade, so a losing streak doesn't cause a drawdown you can't recover from. It is a starting point, not a guarantee.

Read the full guide

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