Trading Plan Template, Outline and PDF Checklist

The one thing all serious traders have is a Forex trading plan.

A trading plan ensures you have a set of rules for every part of your trading system or strategy. 

To become a profitable trader you will need to create an edge over the market that makes sure after all your wins and losses you come out in front.

A trading plan will make sure you can create this edge and you are following the same rules every single trade, not just gambling and guessing.

NOTE: Get Your Free Trading Plan Templates Below.

How to Create a Trading Plan

Your trading plan does not need to be an elaborate or complicated document. It does however need to cover and go through all the rules of your trading system or strategy.

The best trading plans are often the simplest. The reason for that is because you want to have very clear-cut and simple trading rules that are easy to follow time and time again.

As we are about to go through in just a moment, you need to write down and plan out every part of your trading. This includes everything from the markets you trade, the times you trade them, how you trade them and what exactly your trading strategy looks like.

The more clear-cut and simple your trading plan is, the more you will benefit from it.

Also keep in mind that your trading plan is not something that will be set in stone. As you continue to get better as a trader and learn new strategies you will continue to update it. As the markets change and your personal style changes so will your plan continue to evolve.

Forex Trading Plan Outline

The first thing you will need to think about when creating your trading plan is your overall trading outline.

What are your trading goals? What are you trying to achieve? And what is the main focus?

The reason these types of questions are important is because it will help you create a trading plan that is personalized for you and your trading style.

For example, are you a conservative trader who only wants to make the best trades and is happy with smaller profits?

Or, do you want to look for higher risk trades and are more suited to scalping the markets on the smaller time frames looking for bigger gains?

Forex Trading Plan Template

Below I have gone through an example Forex trading plan template that you can use to help create your own trading plan.

This template will help you think about the sort of questions and rules you need to create in your own trading plan.

You can also download a PDF of the trading plan template below.

NOTE: Get Your Free Trading Plan Templates Below.

Quick Outline of Your Trading Plan

• What are your trading goals and what is your trading style?

Trading Routine

• Time Frames You Will Trade:
• Trading Sessions (example; UK, US etc):

Trading Strategy

• Setups/trades you will enter:
• Markets You Will Trade (example; Gold, certain FX pairs):

Money Management

• Risk Per Trade:
• Stop Loss Method:
• Profit Target Method:
• Minimum Risk Reward:
• How You Exit (manually or fixed target):

Forex Trading Plan Checklist

Whilst a trading plan covers your whole trading strategy and the rules you will use overall, a trading checklist can make sure you stay within these rules on each individual trade.

You can use a quick trading checklist beside your computer to make sure each trade you take fits the rules you have created.

These checklists can be incredibly useful and act as a very quick way to make sure you are staying on track.

Below is an example of what you could include in your own trading plan checklist. You can also download a PDF trading plan checklist below to help you create your own.

NOTE: Get Your Free Trading Plan Templates Below.

Trading Routine

• Is this trade formed on my time frame?
• Is this trade during my trading session? Example; US/UK session.
• Is this trade formed in one of my markets / Forex pairs?

Trading Strategy

• Does this trade meet my trade setup rules? Example: is the 50 EMA above 200 for a long trade?
• Is there a valid trade entry? For example, a candlestick pattern that meets my rules?

Money Management

• Am I risking the correct amount of my account?
• Stop loss method correct?
• Profit target method correct?
• Is the minimum risk reward achieved?

Trading Plan Example and Free PDF

A trading plan and trading checklist does not have to be a huge 100 page document.

As we have just gone through you can create a one page simplified trading plan and turn it into a PDF that you sit beside your computer. This along with your trading checklist will make sure you stick to your trading rules and stay on track.

You can access and download the one page trading plan example and trading checklist to help you create your own using the button below.

NOTE: Get Your Free Trading Plan Templates Below.