Paper Trading Stocks
Practice trading T1 ignition signals with real-time market prices and zero risk. TraderValue's paper trading panel is powered by Alpaca — real fills, real P&L tracking, $100,000 simulated buying power, no real money required.
How It Works
Live T1 ignition fires in the Scans panel. Click the ticker to open the chart.
Enter shares or $ amount in the paper trading panel. Market order fills at real price.
Monitor unrealized P&L in your positions table. Exit at the ATR target or stop.
What the Paper Trading Panel Shows
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Portfolio Value | Real-time total account value including open positions at current market prices |
| Buying Power | Available capital for new positions (starts at $100,000 simulated) |
| Positions Table | Open positions with entry price, current price, shares, unrealized P&L, and % change |
| Quick Order Form | Buy or sell by shares or dollar notional — market orders only (fastest execution) |
| Close Position | One-click to exit an entire position at market price |
| 7-Day P&L | Rolling 7-day realized + unrealized performance, shown in the Stats widget |
Why Practice Before Going Live
T1 ignitions have a 55% win rate in bull regimes — statistically proven across 799,000 signals. But personal results often start lower because of four behavioral errors that paper trading exposes:
Entering 3–5% above the trigger because the signal "looks strong." Win rate drops sharply when ext_score is high.
Putting 20–30% of capital in one trade because conviction feels high. One stop-out erases multiple winners.
Holding below the trigger hoping for a recovery. The backtest's stop rule (exit below trigger) is what makes the 55% real.
Not taking the +1 ATR target because you expect more. Rides back to breakeven erode the expected value.
Enter within 1% of trigger. Size each trade at 2–5% of portfolio. Exit at the stop or +1 ATR target — no exceptions. When you can do this for 30 trades without deviation, the system's edge becomes your edge. See win rates by condition to understand what each setup is worth before you enter.
What to Track During Paper Trading
| Metric | Target | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Entry vs trigger | Within 1% of trigger price | Regularly entering 2–3% above trigger |
| Risk per trade | 2–5% of portfolio | Any single trade > 10% of portfolio |
| Stop adherence | 100% — always exit below trigger | Holding below trigger "just in case" |
| Win rate (20+ trades) | Near 50–55% in bull regime | Below 35% after 20+ trades |
| Avg win vs avg loss | Win ≥ 1.5× loss size | Wins and losses roughly equal in size |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is paper trading?
Paper trading is simulated trading using real market prices but no real money. You place buy and sell orders exactly as you would in a live account — the system simulates fills at real bid/ask prices, tracks your positions and P&L in real time, and shows you your portfolio performance. The only difference is that no actual capital is at risk. The term "paper trading" comes from the pre-computer era when traders would track hypothetical trades on paper.
How does TraderValue's paper trading work?
TraderValue's paper trading panel is powered by Alpaca's paper brokerage API. When you submit an order, it goes to Alpaca's paper trading environment which executes fills using real-time market prices from live exchange data. Your positions, average cost, unrealized P&L, and portfolio value update in real time. The paper account starts with $100,000 in simulated buying power. Orders can be market orders or limit orders, in shares or dollar notional amounts.
Why practice trading before using real money?
Even a signal system with a statistically proven edge (like T1 ignitions at 55% win rate in bull regimes) requires practice to execute correctly. The biggest sources of live trading mistakes are: entering too early before signal confirmation, sizing too large when a signal looks compelling, not following the pre-defined exit rule when a trade goes against you, and chasing signals that have moved far from the trigger. Paper trading lets you encounter and correct all of these behavioral patterns before real money is at stake.
What should I track during paper trading?
Track four things: (1) Entry quality — did you enter within 1% of the trigger price, or did you chase? (2) Position sizing — are you risking the same percentage per trade, or sizing up emotionally on "high conviction" setups? (3) Exit discipline — did you exit at the pre-defined stop (close below trigger) or did you hold hoping it recovers? (4) Win rate vs. baseline — are your personal results tracking near the 55% T1 base rate, or significantly worse? Tracking these numbers over 20–30 trades reveals your specific behavioral patterns.
How long should I paper trade before going live?
Most traders benefit from at least 30 completed trades across different market conditions — at least one bull regime stretch and one chop or bear regime. This typically takes 4–8 weeks of active trading. The goal is not to achieve a specific P&L number but to consistently follow your rules: entering near the trigger, sizing correctly, exiting at the stop. When you can do this for 30 trades without deviation, you're ready to scale to a small live account.
Is paper trading available on the free plan?
The paper trading panel is a Pro feature. Free users can view live T1 ignition signals on the Scans page and explore the workspace for 2 minutes without signing in. Pro access ($17/month or $139/year) unlocks the full paper trading panel, AI assistant, options flow, market breadth, and AI research notes.
Pro plan includes the paper trading panel, live signals, AI assistant, options flow, and more. $17/month or $139/year — cancel anytime.
See Pro Plan →