The 1% rule
Risk no more than 1% of account equity per trade. On a $5,000 account, that's $50 max risk per position. Three losing trades in a row costs you 3% — recoverable. Three trades at 10% risk each costs you 30% — not recoverable in any reasonable timeframe.
Why drawdown math is brutal
Lose 10% — need 11.1% to recover. Lose 50% — need 100% to recover. The deeper the drawdown, the more disproportionate the recovery required.
Position size formula
Position size (lots) = (Account × Risk%) / (Stop loss in pips × Pip value)
Example: $10,000 account, 1% risk ($100), 30-pip stop on EURUSD ($10/pip per lot) → position = $100 / (30 × $10) = 0.33 lots.
Use the calculator
ShaFX has a free position-size calculator that does this math for you. Visit /tools/position-size-calculator.