• VTP Trader Performance Audit

    The 4Ms of Trading: Markets | Method | Money | Myself

  • The purpose of the VTP Trader Performance Audit isn't to judge your trading. It's to help you understand it.

    Most traders have strengths they can build upon, weaknesses they need to improve and blind spots they may not yet recognise. The challenge is understanding where they are.

    The Audit uses the VTP 4Ms of Trading — Markets, Method, Money and Myself — to help you assess how you currently operate as a trader and identify where the greatest opportunities for improvement may lie.

    There are no right or wrong answers, and there is no judgement attached to your responses.

    For each statement, answer based upon how you actually trade today, rather than how you know you should trade or how you would like to trade. You are not being tested on your trading knowledge.

    The more honest you are about your actual behaviour, the more useful the Audit will be — both in helping you understand your own performance and in helping us understand how we can best support your development as a trader.

    As you answer each statement, think about your actual trading over the last three months. If your trading records would disagree with your answer, answer according to the records.

  • Respondent Details

  • Markets: Understanding the environment

  • In this section, please answer each statement based on how you actually trade today, not how you know you should trade.
  • MKT1. I have a structured process for assessing the market environment before I begin trading.*
  • MKT2. I understand which market conditions are best suited to my trading approach.*
  • MKT3. I can recognise when market conditions have changed and my normal approach may need to adapt.*
  • MKT4. I know when market conditions suggest that I should reduce my activity or stay out altogether.*
  • MKT5. I distinguish between what the market is actually doing and what I expected or wanted it to do.*
  • MKT6. When my market view proves incorrect, I can reassess the situation without becoming anchored to my original opinion.*

  • Method: Having and executing a process

  • In this section, please answer each statement based on how you actually trade today, not how you know you should trade.
  • MET1. I have a clearly defined trading methodology that tells me what I am looking for in the markets, when I should enter a trade, when I should exit if I am wrong and when I should exit if I am right.*
  • MET2. Before entering a trade, I can clearly explain why the opportunity meets the criteria of my methodology.*
  • MET3. I plan my trades before execution rather than making important decisions once I am already emotionally or financially committed.*
  • MET4. I execute my trading plan consistently, even when I am tempted to deviate from it.*
  • MET5. I maintain sufficient records to understand which parts of my methodology are working and which require improvement.*
  • MET6. When my results deteriorate, I review the evidence before changing or abandoning my methodology.*

  • Money: Managing risk and capital

  • In this section, please answer each statement based on how you actually trade today, not how you know you should trade.
  • MON1. I define, and fully accept, my risk before entering a trade.*
  • MON2. My position size is determined by my risk framework rather than by how strongly I feel about a trade.*
  • MON3. I maintain consistent risk discipline after both winning and losing trades.*
  • MON4. I have predetermined limits that tell me when to reduce risk or stop trading during a period of poor performance.*
  • MON5. I judge the quality of a trade by the quality of the decision and execution, rather than simply whether it made or lost money.*
  • MON6. Protecting my trading capital takes priority over recovering losses or achieving a particular profit target.*

  • Myself: Managing the operator

  • In this section, please answer each statement based on how you actually trade today, not how you know you should trade.
  • MY1. I recognise the emotional and behavioural patterns that most commonly affect my trading decisions.*
  • MY2. I can recognise when frustration, fear, overconfidence or the desire to make money is beginning to influence my decision-making.*
  • MY3. I can make effective trading decisions under pressure without abandoning my normal standards.*
  • MY4. After making a trading mistake, I can reset and return to my process without allowing the mistake to affect subsequent decisions.*
  • MY5. I take responsibility for my trading decisions rather than blaming the market, other traders, news or circumstances.*
  • MY6. My actual trading behaviour consistently reflects the standards of the trader I want to become.*

  • Reflection

  • Your Trader Performance Audit Results

  • Your results provide a snapshot of your current performance across the VTP 4Ms of Trading. Your overall result gives you a useful headline, while your individual 4M results help identify where your current strengths and development opportunities may lie.

  • Overall TPA Result — Established Performance

    Your Audit suggests that you have established strong standards and behaviours across the 4Ms of Trading. Your results indicate a generally consistent approach to managing the markets, your method, your capital and yourself as a trader.

  • Overall TPA Result — Developing Performance

    Your Audit suggests that you have established capabilities across the 4Ms of Trading, but there are areas where greater consistency and development may improve your overall trading performance.

  • Overall TPA Result — Performance Gaps Identified

    Your Audit suggests that there are meaningful gaps across one or more of the 4Ms which may be limiting the consistency of your trading performance. Identifying where those gaps lie provides a useful starting point for further development.

  • Overall TPA Result — Priority for Development

    Your Audit suggests that there are several areas across the 4Ms that would benefit from greater attention and development. The priority should be to identify the areas having the greatest influence on your trading and begin improving them systematically.

  • Markets — Established Strength


    Your responses suggest that your approach to Markets is generally well established and consistently applied.

  • Markets — Developing


    Your responses suggest that your approach to Markets is developing, but there are areas where greater consistency may improve your performance.

  • Markets — Performance Gap


    Your responses suggest there is a meaningful gap between the standards you understand and how consistently they are currently applied within Markets.

  • Markets — Priority for Development


    Your responses suggest that Markets should be a priority area for further attention and development.

  • Method — Established Strength


    Your responses suggest that you have a well-established trading methodology and generally execute your process consistently.

  • Method — Developing


    Your responses suggest that your trading methodology is developing, but there are areas where greater clarity or consistency of execution may improve your performance.

  • Method — Performance Gap


    Your responses suggest there is a meaningful gap between the trading process you understand and how consistently you currently plan, execute and review your trading.

  • Method — Priority for Development

     

    Your responses suggest that Method should be a priority area for further attention and development.

  • Money — Established Strength


    Your responses suggest that you have a well-established approach to managing risk and capital, and generally apply your risk framework consistently.

  • Money — Developing


    Your responses suggest that your approach to managing risk and capital is developing, but there are areas where greater consistency and discipline may improve your performance.

  • Money — Performance Gap


    Your responses suggest there is a meaningful gap between the risk standards you understand and how consistently you currently apply them in your trading.

  • Money — Priority for Development


    Your responses suggest that Money should be a priority area for further attention and development, particularly around the consistent management and protection of your trading capital.

  • Myself — Established Strength


    Your responses suggest that you have a well-established level of self-awareness and generally manage your behaviour and decision-making effectively under the pressures of trading.

  • Myself — Developing


    Your responses suggest that your self-awareness and ability to manage yourself as a trader are developing, but there are areas where greater consistency may improve your decision-making and performance.

  • Myself — Performance Gap


    Your responses suggest there is a meaningful gap between how you know you should operate as a trader and how consistently you manage your behaviour and decision-making under pressure.

  • Myself — Priority for Development


    Your responses suggest that Myself should be a priority area for further attention and development, particularly around understanding and managing the behaviours that influence your trading decisions.

  • This is your first snapshot. Your 4M results highlight where your current strengths and development opportunities may lie, but don't stop here. Continue to the bottom of the page and submit your Audit and we'll email you your complete results, including your Overall Trader Performance Score, your individual 4M scores and a copy of your reflections to help you decide what to work on next.

  • What happens next?

  • Your Trader Performance Audit provides a snapshot of your current performance across the VTP 4Ms.

    Your scores aren't a judgement of whether you are a good or bad trader. Their purpose is to help identify where your strengths currently lie and where there may be opportunities for further development.

    Take some time to consider both your scores and your answers to the reflection questions.

  • VTP Stage 4 – Trader Performance Programme

    There comes a point in many traders' development when improving their trading becomes less about learning another strategy and more about improving their own performance.

    If your Audit has highlighted that this may be where you are, you can learn more about the VTP Stage 4 – Trader Performance Programme below.

    Find Out More About VTP Stage 4

  • Would you rather talk it through?

    If you'd like to discuss your Audit, your trading or whether Stage 4 is the right next step for you, you can book a complimentary 15-minute Trader Performance Conversation with Paul.

    Book My Trader Performance Conversation 

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