Brad McDaniel
Founder, Trade Planner
Brad McDaniel is the founder of Trade Planner, a Pearl Street Capital venture based in Seattle, Washington.
He builds the product directly — the broker import pipeline, the AI trade categorization and setup tagging, the behavioral models behind tilt and overtrading alerts, and the analytics that surface a trader's real edge.
He writes here about the parts of trading that are measurable: position sizing, risk, expectancy, and the behavioral patterns that show up in a trade log long before they show up in an account balance.
Articles by Brad
Fear of Trading: How to Overcome Entry Hesitation and Pull the Trigger
Entry hesitation costs traders more than bad trades. Learn proven techniques to overcome fear of trading and build the confidence to execute your setups.
9 min readTrading Playbook Builder: Turn Winning Patterns Into Repeatable Rules
Learn how a trading playbook transforms scattered wins into a structured system of repeatable setups, rules, and edge-driven execution.
9 min readFree Position Size Calculator: Size Every Trade in Seconds
Use our free position size calculator to nail your risk on every trade. Learn the math behind proper trade sizing and why it matters more than your entry.
8 min readWhat to Track in a Trading Journal: The Metrics That Actually Matter
Stop logging useless data. These are the trading journal metrics that actually improve your win rate, risk management, and long-term profitability.
9 min readHow to Backtest a Trading Strategy Step by Step
Learn how to backtest a trading strategy with this step-by-step guide covering manual and automated methods, common pitfalls, and validation techniques.
9 min readBest Paper Trading Simulators in 2026: Practice Platforms That Build Skill
Compare the best paper trading simulators in 2026, from Trade Planner to Thinkorswim paperMoney, and find the practice platform that fits your strategy.
9 min readHow to Set Stop Losses That Actually Protect Your Capital
Learn proven stop loss strategies that protect your trading capital without getting stopped out prematurely on normal price fluctuations.
9 min readTrade Planner for Day Traders: Plan, Simulate, and Review Every Session
A day trading journal built into a simulator changes everything. Learn how Trade Planner helps day traders prep sessions, execute with discipline, and review every trade.
9 min readHow to Build Trading Discipline That Survives a Losing Streak
Trading discipline breaks down when losses pile up. Learn proven frameworks to stay consistent, stick to your trading plan, and trade through drawdowns without tilting.
9 min readTrading Performance Analytics: The Dashboard That Reveals Your Real Edge
Discover how trading performance analytics dashboards reveal your real edge through win rate, profit factor, expectancy, and drawdown metrics.
9 min readBest Trading Journals in 2026: 9 Tools Ranked for Serious Traders
We ranked the 9 best trading journals in 2026 based on analytics, ease of use, and value. Find the right tool to track and improve your trading.
9 min readMonte Carlo Strategy Testing: Stress-Test Your Edge Before You Risk Capital
Monte Carlo trading simulation reveals whether your strategy survives thousands of randomized scenarios — so you know your edge is real before risking a single dollar.
9 min readAI Trading Coach: Behavioral Feedback That Catches Tilt Before You Do
An AI trading coach spots emotional patterns in your trades before you spiral. Learn how behavioral feedback loops build discipline and protect your capital.
8 min readTrading Simulator: Risk-Free Paper Trading That Builds Real Skill
A trading simulator lets you practice strategies with zero capital risk. Learn how paper trading builds real skill and why simulation beats replay.
9 min readAI Trading Journal: Auto-Logged, Self-Analyzing Trade Records
Discover how an AI trading journal auto-logs every trade, tags patterns, and reveals your real edge — replacing static spreadsheets for good.
9 min readProp Firm Challenge Prep: How Trade Planner Helps You Pass and Stay Funded
A prop firm challenge tests discipline, not talent. Here's how simulation-based practice helps you pass the evaluation and keep the funded account.
6 min readThe Ultimate Trading Plan Template for Consistent Profits in 2026
Discover a complete, AI-enhanced trading plan template that top traders use to achieve consistency. Learn how to build one that adapts with TradePlanner.ai.
9 min readPosition Sizing for Retail Traders: The Risk Management Skill That Separates Pros from Amateurs
Most traders obsess over entries and ignore position sizing. Learn the proven frameworks that professional traders use to size every trade and protect their capital.
16 min readHow to Develop a Profitable Trading Strategy Using Simulation in 2026
Learn how to use trading simulators like TradePlanner.ai to test, refine, and validate your trading strategies before risking real capital. Master the art of strategy development through systematic simulation.
10 min read2026 AI Trading Trends: Beyond Static Logging
Why static journaling is dead. Discover how generative AI is reshaping trade analysis and why predictive models are the new standard for retail traders.
3 min readWelcome to TradePlanner.AI: The Future of Intelligent Trading
Why we built the first adaptive AI journal that predicts your edge, coaches your mind, and crushes losses before they happen.
3 min readConquering Tilt: The AI Advantage
Psychology is 80% of trading. Learn how AI behavioral coaching detects emotional bias faster than you can, preventing costly mistakes and preserving capital.
3 min readWhy Simulations Crush Replay Mode
Replay mode is useful, but simulations are transformative. How running Monte Carlo tests on your strategy reveals its true expectancy and prepares you for the unknown.
3 min read