Who this is for — Anyone confusing activity with edge. Too many trades = costs + decision fatigue; too few = impossible validation.
Trade frequency is the number of plan trades in a period (day/week/month). Defines friction with slippage and fees and time to reach useful sample size.
In plain terms — How often you press the button — sweet spot between data and burnout.
Trade-off
| High frequency | Low frequency |
|---|---|
| Fast sample size | Lower cost % |
| Costs + slippage ↑ | Years to validate |
| Decision fatigue | FOMO «inactivity» |
Scalping: small edge per trade — fees may erode it. Swing: few trades — statistical patience required.
Plan rules
- Expected frequency target (e.g. 2–5 trades/week setup X)
- Cap with max trades
- Review: actual vs planned frequency
Typical mistake — Raising frequency in drawdown to «recover» — overtrading.
Example — H1 setup: ~8 trades/month; max 3/day; costs 0.15R/trade → break-even edge ≥ 0.2R/trade.
Summary card
- Metric: trades / period.
- Pair: costs + net expectancy.
- Limit: max trades per session.
Silver path — Metrics module. Index: Silver path.