How to Use the Position Size Calculator
Pick your symbol first, then set your risk and your stop; the result updates as you type.
- Choose your symbol or asset class. Forex, gold, metals, indices, oil and crypto each load the right pip value and contract size.
- Set your risk, either as a percentage of your account or as a fixed maximum loss in your account currency.
- Enter your stop-loss, either as a distance in pips or as an entry price and a stop price.
- Adjust the pip value per lot if your exact symbol differs from the preset, or use the pip value calculator.
The tool shows the money at risk and the position size in lots that keeps the loss to that amount if your stop is hit.
How Position Sizing Works
Position sizing starts from the money you are willing to lose on a trade, not the money you hope to make. Decide a fixed percentage of your account to risk, usually 1% or less, then size the trade so that your stop-loss equals that amount.
The maths is simple: the amount at risk is your balance multiplied by your risk percentage. Divide that by your stop-loss distance in pips and the money value of one pip, and you have the position size in lots.
- A wider stop means a smaller position for the same risk.
- A tighter stop means a larger position, but less room for the trade to breathe.
- Lowering your risk percentage lowers the position size across every trade.
Why It Matters on a Funded Account
On a funded account a single oversized trade can breach your daily loss limit or your drawdown floor and end the account. Sizing every trade to a small, fixed percentage is the clearest way to stay inside the rules while you build a track record.
Use the payout and drawdown calculator to see your exact daily loss limit and floor for each River Valley Capital programme, then size your trades to stay well above it.
More Free Trading Tools
Plan the rest of the trade with River Valley Capital's other free calculators:
- Risk/reward ratio calculator to check your ratio and break-even win rate.
- Pip value calculator to find what one pip is worth for your trade size.
- Margin calculator to see the margin a leveraged position ties up.
- Drawdown and payout calculator for your daily loss limit, floor and payout on a funded account.