Beginner6 steps · 22 min of reading

Trading Foundations: Risk, Stops and Position Size

A six-step path through the math every trade depends on: risk per trade, stop placement, position size, risk/reward, expectancy and drawdown recovery.

What you’ll be able to do

  • Set a risk-per-trade budget you can defend over a losing streak
  • Place a stop from the chart, then size the position to fit it
  • Judge a setup by expectancy rather than by win rate alone
  • Know what a drawdown costs you and how long it takes to undo

The path

  1. Step 1: What Is the 2% Rule in Trading?

    Position sizing · 4 min read

    Pick the percentage of the account a single trade may lose.

    Practice

    Size a $10,000 account at 1% risk, then change risk to 2% and watch the position double.

    Open the Position Size calculator →
  2. Choose a stop distance from volatility and structure, not from the size you wish you could trade.

    Practice

    Set a 2×ATR stop on a $100 entry with a 2.5 ATR, then compare a 1× and a 3× multiplier.

    Open the ATR Stop calculator →
  3. Convert any stop distance — points, pips or ticks — into a position size.

    Practice

    Size a $25,000 account risking 0.75% with a $3.50 stop distance.

    Open the Position Size calculator →
  4. Read a setup's breakeven win rate before deciding whether to take it.

    Practice

    Check a 3:1 setup, then drag the target down to 105 and watch the breakeven win rate jump.

    Open the Risk / Reward calculator →
  5. Turn a trade history into a single number: what one trade is worth on average.

    Practice

    Run a 55% win rate with a 2:1 payoff, then drop the win rate to 30% and watch the edge turn negative.

    Open the Kelly Criterion calculator →
  6. Price the cost of a losing run before it happens, in both percent and time.

    Practice

    See the gain a 20% drawdown needs, then try a 50% drawdown for the shape of the curve.

    Open the Drawdown & Recovery calculator →

Start with step 1

The steps build on each other — the position sizing in step three depends on the stop placement in step two.

Read: What Is the 2% Rule in Trading?

Other paths