Writing
Notes
I use this section for longer explanations that do not belong on a sales page: how ITPM organises a trade idea, how portfolio construction differs from a single-trade mindset, and how I use the tools on this site.
By Richard Sarsfield. I have taken all four ITPM courses.
How I build a trade idea from the market down
7 September 2026The order I work in: the economic setting, then the sector, then the two names, then size, catalyst and exit. It is the habit that stops an interesting chart becoming a position I cannot size, hedge or close.
Trading Education5 min read
How I read the yield curve without treating it as a timing signal
7 September 2026The yield curve compares interest rates across maturities. Its shape adds context to expectations for growth, inflation and policy, and the record shows why it is not a timing signal on its own.
Macro Analysis5 min read
Why I decide the risk before looking for an entry
7 September 2026I settle the thesis, the size, the correlation and the exit before I judge a trade on its result. Deciding those while I still have no money on the line is the whole point, and it is the part I got wrong for years.
Trading Education4 min read