Risk per trade calculator
See how much money a fixed risk percentage puts on each trade, and what a run of losses would do to your account at 0.5%, 1%, 2% or more per trade.
What risk per trade means
Risk per trade is the amount you would lose if a trade hits its stop loss, written as a percentage of your account. It is set before the trade, and the lot size is then chosen so that the stop costs exactly that amount. The calculator shows that amount as its headline result.
The 1% rule
The 1% rule is a common guideline: never risk more than 1% of the account on a single trade. On a $10,000 account that is $100. It is not a law of trading and some traders use 0.5% or 2%, but it shows why small, fixed risk matters: no single trade can do serious damage, and a losing streak is survivable.
What a losing streak does
Because the risk is a percentage of the current balance, each loss is a little smaller than the one before. Ten losses in a row on a $10,000 account:
| Risk per trade | First loss | Balance after 10 losses | Drawdown | Gain needed to recover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5% | $50.00 | $9,511.10 | 4.9% | 5.1% |
| 1% | $100.00 | $9,043.82 | 9.6% | 10.6% |
| 2% | $200.00 | $8,170.73 | 18.3% | 22.4% |
| 5% | $500.00 | $5,987.37 | 40.1% | 67.0% |
At 1% the account is down less than 10% after ten straight losses. At 5% it is down about 40% and needs a gain of about two thirds just to get back to the start. Losing streaks happen to every strategy, including ones with a high success rate, so the question is not whether one will come but whether your risk setting lets you continue afterwards.
How to use it with signals
A Forexuro signal gives an entry and a stop loss. Decide your risk percentage first, then put the stop distance into the lot size calculator or, for gold, the gold position size calculator. Keeping the same percentage on every signal means your results follow the record of the ideas rather than the size of any one trade.
Related tools and guides
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1% rule in trading?
It is a guideline to risk no more than 1% of your account on any single trade. On a $10,000 account the most you would lose if the stop is hit is $100.
How much should I risk per trade?
Many traders use between 0.5% and 2%. Lower settings make losing streaks easier to survive. The right figure depends on your account, experience and tolerance for drawdown; this calculator shows the trade-off but is not personal advice.
What happens after 10 losses in a row at 1% risk?
Starting from $10,000 and risking 1% of the current balance each time, the account falls to $9,043.82, a drawdown of about 9.6%. It needs a gain of about 10.6% to recover.
Is risk per trade the same as lot size?
No. Risk per trade is the money you accept losing. Lot size is the position that makes your stop cost that amount, so it changes with the stop distance and the market.
Calculators are for education and planning. They do not account for your broker's spread, commission, swap or contract terms. Trading forex and CFDs carries a high risk of losing money. Read our risk disclosure.