The Altiora blog
Guides and analysis to level up your trading: journaling, prop firms, discipline and more.
Notion trading journal vs software: which should you choose in 2026?
Notion is flexible and free to start. Software cuts entry time and stabilizes stats. Here is when to stay on Notion, and when to migrate.
Read articleOvertrading: how to spot it and stop
Overtrading means trading outside the plan, not just clicking too much. Measurable signs, common causes, and a 7-day protocol to bring volume back in line.
Read articleTrading money management: how to calculate position size (the 1% rule)
Trading money management is not a theory. It is a formula. Here is how to calculate position size, set risk per trade, and stay alive in a challenge as well as on a personal account.
Read articleMT4 / MT5 trading journal: import and track MetaTrader trades
If you trade on MetaTrader, your MT4 or MT5 journal should not depend on typing every fill by hand. Here is how to import trades, what usually breaks, and what to demand from a tool.
Read articleTrading plan example: a concrete template you can copy
A useful trading plan fits on one page. Here is a concrete example and a template to adapt, with enough structure to trade without rewriting the rules every session.
Read articleTrading journal: the complete guide to getting better
Why keeping a trading journal changes everything, what to record, which statistics to track, and how to move from a manual notebook to automated tracking that actually compounds.
Read articleHow to keep an effective trading journal (beginner guide)
The step-by-step method for a trading journal you will not drop: what to record, when to fill it in, and how to review it so it actually makes you better.
Read articleAutomated vs manual trading journal: which should you choose?
Notebook, spreadsheet or automated journal: the strengths, the limits and the hidden cost of each approach, so you can choose with your eyes open.
Read articleWhich statistics to track in your trading journal
Win rate, expectancy, risk/reward ratio, drawdown: what each metric really says about your trading, and which one to watch first.
Read articleFree trading journal template (Excel / Notion)
A ready-to-use trading journal template, the essential columns to recreate in Excel or Notion, and the moment you should move to a dedicated tool.
Read articleProp firm challenge: why most traders fail
The real reasons traders fail a prop firm challenge are not technical: risk management, drawdown, discipline. How to master them and pass.
Read articleThe 5 mistakes that sink a prop firm challenge
Five concrete mistakes that get traders disqualified during a challenge — and how to avoid them from day one.
Read articleHow to choose your prop firm in 2026 (criteria and traps)
The objective criteria for comparing prop firms, and the traps to spot before you pay for a challenge.
Read articleManaging drawdown during a prop firm challenge
How to handle a losing streak without being disqualified: limits, breaks and concrete rules to protect your drawdown.
Read articleRisk management rules to avoid disqualification
The concrete risk management rules that protect your challenge: risk per trade, correlations, maximum exposure.
Read articleBest trading journal software in 2026: the full comparison
How to choose trading journal software in 2026: objective criteria, a comparison of the options, and why language and ecosystem matter.
Read articleAltiora vs TradeZella: which trading journal should you choose?
An honest comparison of Altiora and TradeZella: features, language, ecosystem and positioning, so you can choose for your profile.
Read articleAltiora vs Edgewonk: the full comparison
Edgewonk or Altiora? A comparison of the two trading journals on features, model and target audience.
Read articleHow to backtest a trading strategy (the complete method)
The method for backtesting a strategy seriously: sample size, unambiguous rules, biases to avoid, and moving on to replay.
Read articleTrading psychology: understanding and correcting behavioural mistakes
Discipline is not a personality trait, it is measurable data. How to identify and correct the biases that sabotage your trading.
Read articleWhy I break my trading discipline (and how to fix it)
The concrete triggers that push you out of your plan, and a simple method to identify and neutralise them.
Read articleRevenge trading: how to break the spiral
Revenge trading turns a small loss into a disaster. How to recognise the mechanism and cut it off cleanly.
Read articleThe professional trader’s morning routine
What a serious trader does before the open: preparation, mental state, and the ritual that shapes decision quality.
Read articleMacroeconomics and trading: reading the economic calendar and anticipating markets
How macroeconomics moves markets, which events to follow, and how to turn the economic calendar into a discipline of preparation.
Read articleEconomic calendar: how to read it and use it to trade
Impact, consensus, previous value: how to read an economic calendar and fold it into your preparation without trading it blind.
Read articleScalping: the complete guide to trading short-term without burning out
What scalping really is, why it amplifies risk management mistakes, and the method to practise it without destroying your account.
Read articleCrypto trading: managing risk and discipline (2026 guide)
Crypto volatility punishes the absence of a plan. Why discipline, not technical analysis, is the real edge — and how to journal your crypto trades.
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