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Before you start
Two quick checks. Tick them as you go.
Words you'll see. Stop = the price where you would exit a losing trade. Lot = the trade size. Free margin = money the broker needs to hold a trade open.
Guide · MetaTrader 5 · about 5 minutes
Use PFX Risk Calculator.Drag to your stop, then read the lots.
Risk Calculator shows the lot size for 1%, 2% and 3% of your balance at a stop you choose. You drag a line to your stop and read the card. It places no orders. You still check the size in the order window before you send any trade.
~5 minstart to finish
6 stepstick each one off
No ordersit only shows sizes
Freefor PrecisionFX tools
✓
It only shows numbers.
Nothing is sent to the broker. If a step doesn't look like the picture, that's normal: open the "Not seeing it?" box under it.
1
Attach it to a chart
A card and a line appear straight away.
- Drag PFX Risk Calculator onto a chart.
- A card appears at the bottom left, and a dashed red line appears under the price.
Not seeing it?
No card appears. Check the indicator is attached to the chart. The card sits at the bottom left by default.
2
Drag the line to your stop
Under the price is a buy. Above it is a sell.
- Drag the red line to where your stop would go.
- If the line is under the price, the sizes are for a buy. If it is above, they are for a sell.
Prefer a typed distance? Set Stop distance from to a fixed distance in points, and the line is not used.
Not seeing it?
The line is in the wrong place. Drag it again. Keep it under price for a buy and above price for a sell.
3
Read the lot sizes
One size for each percentage of your balance.
- Read the card. It shows the lot size for 1%, 2% and 3% of your balance, at that stop.
- Compare the three rows to see how the size changes with the risk you pick.
Not seeing it?
The sizes look too big. Check the stop is where you intend, and that the percentage you are reading is the one you want.
4
Change the percentages and the corner
Make it show the levels you use.
- Open the settings with Ctrl+I, then PFX Risk Calculator.
- Under Risk levels, type the percentages you want, such as 0.5 and 1.
- Under Panel corner, pick any of the four corners.
Not seeing it?
My percentages don't change. Check you pressed OK after typing them, and use the format the setting shows.
5
Know the two warnings
Each one tells you a different thing.
- Red OVER RISK: the broker's smallest lot already risks more than your percentage at that stop. The row shows the real percentage.
- Amber *: you do not have the free margin to open that size. The card says how many lots you can open.
A red OVER RISK cannot be fixed by a setting. Widen the stop, or use a smaller symbol.
Not seeing it?
I see OVER RISK on every size. The smallest lot is too big for your stop. Widen the stop, or trade a smaller symbol.
Your safety nets
Three things to keep in mind.
1
No orders
The calculator only shows sizes. Nothing is sent to the broker.
2
Check the order window
Before you send any trade, check the size in the order window.
3
Red means stop and look
OVER RISK means the smallest lot is too big for that stop. Change the stop or the symbol.
Risk warning: Trading carries a high risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. A sizing card is a calculation, not advice on how much to risk. Check every size yourself before a trade. MetaTrader and MQL5 are trademarks of MetaQuotes Ltd.; PrecisionFX is not affiliated with or endorsed by MetaQuotes.