What's the smallest useful trading account?

Every broker has a minimum deposit, but the useful minimum is higher: enough that 1% risk per trade is still a tradeable position size with a sensible stop distance.

What's the smallest useful trading account? — risk-reward diagram
A risk-reward ratio of 1 to 2

Work the numbers with us:

  • your account size
  • your risk per trade in money
  • whether micro lots make it possible
What's the smallest useful trading account? — moving average crossover diagram
A fast moving average crossing a slower one

The position sizing guide and the lot sizes guide have the arithmetic.

Background: Position sizing: how to risk a fixed percentage per trade

How much you trade matters more than where you enter. A step-by-step method for sizing positions from your stop-loss and the amount you are willing to lose.

How do I calculate lot size from risk?

Divide the amount you are willing to lose by the stop distance in pips multiplied by the pip value per lot. For $50 risk, a 25-pip stop and $10 per pip per lot, that is 0.20 lots.

What is the 1% rule in trading?

A guideline to risk no more than 1% of the account on any single trade, so a losing streak doesn't cause a drawdown you can't recover from. It is a starting point, not a guarantee.

Read the full guide

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