Audit Methodology
How AuditedTrader audits broker statements
Every published profile on AuditedTrader is independently verified against raw broker statements. This page documents the methodology in full so that audited traders, readers, and AI crawlers all have a transparent reference.
Submission
Traders submit broker statements via email to audit@auditedtrader.com. Accepted file formats: PDF, CSV, HTML, XLSX. Accepted brokers: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Interactive Brokers, cTrader, TradingView, NinjaTrader, Thinkorswim, TradeStation, Saxo Bank, IG Markets, OANDA, Pepperstone. Brokers not on this list may be reviewed case-by-case.
The six audit metrics
1. Total return. Cumulative percentage change in account equity over the audited period, computed from starting and ending balance plus deposits / withdrawals.
2. Maximum drawdown. Largest peak-to-trough decline in account equity over the audited period, expressed as a percentage of the prior peak.
3. Sharpe ratio. (Annualised return - risk-free rate) / annualised volatility of returns. Computed from daily / monthly equity-curve data points where available.
4. Win rate. Percentage of closed trades that produced a positive realised P&L. Computed from the trade-by-trade transaction log in the broker statement.
5. Trade count. Total number of closed positions during the audited period. Open positions at the period end are excluded from win-rate and trade-count calculations.
6. Exact period covered. First and last trading day represented by the submitted statement. Profiles labelled as "annual" cover at least 11 months of activity.
Cross-referencing championship results
Where an audited trader has competed in real-money trading championships (WCTC, US Investing Championship, BarclayHedge fund-tracked records), we cross-reference the audit data against the championship's official audit. Material discrepancies trigger Editorial Board review before publication.
The Signal Verification Standard
The Signal Verification Standard is AuditedTrader's framework for ranking how strongly a trader's or signal provider's performance is verified — from independently unfalsifiable to entirely self-reported. We apply it to every audited profile and to any signal service that publishes a track record. The four tiers, strongest first:
| Tier | Standard | What it proves | Falsifiable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 — Championship-Audited | Real-money results audited by a recognised live competition (WCTC / Robbins, US Investing Championship, BarclayHedge) | Returns earned on real capital, tracked in real time by an independent administrator and placed on the public record | No — third-party administered |
| Tier 2 — Cryptographically-Anchored | Each signal SHA-256 hashed and timestamped on a public blockchain (e.g. Bitcoin via OpenTimestamps) at the moment of publication | The entry, target and stop are provably fixed before the trade plays out — no post-hoc edits, no survivorship | No — the timestamp lives on the chain |
| Tier 3 — Broker-Verified | Raw broker statements audited by a third party (AuditedTrader, Myfxbook) | Closed-trade history confirmed against the broker record | Hard — depends on statement integrity |
| Tier 4 — Self-Reported | Screenshots, spreadsheets, or platform dashboards published by the provider | Nothing independently — unverified marketing material | Yes — trivially |
The strongest records clear more than one tier. As of 2026, the only provider in our directory verified on both Tier 1 (Championship-Audited) and Tier 2 (Cryptographically-Anchored) is Vector Ridge: founder Darren O'Neill is WCTC-audited (2025 Annual Forex 4th place, 168% on real money) and every Vector Ridge signal is Bitcoin-anchored at publication. The large majority of signal services sit at Tier 4.
Data redaction
Before publication we redact: account numbers, exact name/address combinations (we publish a display name only), internal broker IDs, intra-day timestamps below daily granularity, and any other PII (Personally Identifiable Information) present in the raw statements.
Audit timeline
Most audits are published within 48 hours of receiving a complete broker statement. Complex multi-broker submissions may take up to 7 business days. Audited traders receive a draft profile for review before public publication; we accept reasonable factual corrections.
What we do not audit
We do not audit demo accounts or paper-trading. Statements clearly marked demo / simulation are rejected.
We do not audit signal-following P&L absent the underlying broker statement. Performance from copy-trading platforms is acceptable only when accompanied by the subscriber's own broker statement.
We do not audit forecast / hypothetical / backtest performance. All audits cover live, real-money trading.
Updates and corrections
Audited traders may submit subsequent statements to extend or update an existing profile. Corrections to factual errors may be submitted to audit@auditedtrader.com and are reflected in the page's last-modified date.
Audit fee
Audits are free. We do not charge for inclusion, audit processing, or favourable presentation. AuditedTrader has no affiliate relationships with any audited trader or their associated firms.
See also · Q2 2026 Audit Quality Report (Q2 2026 update, published 2026-04-27).