About the Trading Risk Calculator
Add up the risk of all your open trades to see how much you would lose if every stop loss were hit at once. For each trade enter the amount at risk, or its entry, stop and size, and the page shows the cash at risk, the share of your equity and what would be left.
Risking 1% per trade feels safe, but six open trades at 1% each is 6% of the account if the market turns against all of them, which happens more often than it seems when trades are on related pairs. Set a total limit and the page warns you when you go over it.
How it works
Each trade's risk is the distance from entry to stop times its size, times the value of a 1.0 price move per unit. For shares and coins that value is 1, so 20 shares bought at 180 with a stop at 175 risk 5 × 20 = 100. For a gold lot quoted per ounce it is 100, so 0.1 lot with a $10 stop risks 10 × 0.1 × 100 = 100.
If you already know a trade's risk, for example from the Position Size Calculator, type it in the amount field and the entry, stop and size are ignored.
The total is the sum of every trade. It is shown in money and as a percentage of equity, with the largest single risk highlighted and, if you set a limit, the amount you'd need to cut to get back under it.
Assumptions and limits
- All amounts are in your account currency. Convert a trade's risk first if it's priced in another currency.
- A trade with its stop at break-even or in profit can be entered with an amount of 0.
- Gaps over the weekend or on news can fill stops at worse prices, so real losses can be larger.
Worked examples
Three open trades
EUR/USD risking $100, 20 Apple shares from 180 with a stop at 175 ($100) and 0.1 lot of gold with a $10 stop ($100): $300, or 3% of $10,000.
Over the limit
$300 of open risk on a $10,000 account with a 2% limit is $100 too much.
A short trade
10 units sold at 100 with a stop at 105 risk $50.
How to use the Trading Risk Calculator
- Enter your equity. And a total risk limit if you use one.
- Add each open trade. An amount, or entry, stop and size.
- Check the total. Money and percentage at risk if every stop is hit.
Frequently asked questions
How much total risk should I have open at once?
Many traders keep the combined risk of all open trades under about 5 to 6 percent of the account, and less when trades are on related markets that tend to move together. The right limit depends on your strategy and how much drawdown you can accept.
How do I calculate the risk of a trade?
Multiply the distance between entry and stop by the position size and by the value of a 1.0 price move per unit. 100 shares bought at 50 with a stop at 48 risk 2 × 100 = 200 in the share's currency.
Why add up the risk of all trades?
Losses often come together. Several trades on dollar pairs, or on gold and the dollar, can all hit their stops on the same news, so the combined risk is the amount that can really leave the account in one move.
What does value of a 1.0 move mean?
It is how much one unit of the position gains or loses when the price moves by 1.0. It is 1 for shares and coins, 100 for a 100-ounce gold lot, and 100,000 for one standard forex lot quoted in your account currency.
Does it include swap and commission?
No. Only the loss from price moving to each stop is counted. Add any commission or expected swap to a trade's amount if you want them included in the total risk.
This tool runs entirely in your browser. What you enter or upload stays on your device and is never sent to our servers.