How Much Capital Should I Trade Forex With?
Summary: Research shows that the amount of capital in your trading account can affect your profitability. Traders with at least $5,000 of capital tend to utilize more conservative amounts of leverage. Traders should look to use an effective leverage of 10-to1 or less.
In looking at the trading records of tens of thousands of clients from a major FX broker, as well as talking with even more traders daily via live webinars, Twitter , and , it appears that traders enter the Forex market with a desire to cap their potential for losses on their risk based capital. Therefore, many newer traders choose to start trading forex with a small capital base.
What we have found out through the analysis of thousands of trading accounts is that traders with larger account balances tend to be profitable on a higher percentage of trades. We feel this is a result of the EFFECTIVE LEVERAGE used in the trading account.
Since many smaller traders are inexperienced in trading forex, they tend to expose their account to significantly higher levels of effective leverage. As a result, this increase in leverage can magnify losses in their trading account. Emotionally spent, traders then either give up on forex or choose to compound the issue by continuing to trade in relatively high amounts of effective leverage. This becomes a vicious cycle that damages the enthusiasm which attracted the trader to forex.
No matter how good or bad your strategy is, your decision (or non-decision, as the case may be) about effective leverage has direct and powerful effects on the outcomes of your trading. Last year, we published some tests showing the results over time of the same strategy with different leverage. You can read it in the article Forex Trading: Controlling Leverage and Margin .
In figure 2, we have modified 2 elements of the chart in figure 1. First, we renamed each column to represent the highest dollar value that qualified for the given column. For example, the $0-$999 equity range is now being represented as the $999 group. The $1,000 - $4,999 equity range is now being represented as the $4,999 group. And likewise, the $5,000 - $9,999 range is now being represented as the $9,999 group.
The second change made was that we calculated the average trade size of each group and divided it into the maximum possible account balance for that group. In essence, this provided us a conservative and understated effective leverage amount. (A larger balance reduces the effective leverage so the red line on the chart is the lowest and most conservative calculation of the chart.) For example, the average trade size for the $999 group was 26k. If we take the average trade size and divide it by the account equity, the result is the effective leverage used by that group on average.
As the effective leverage dropped significantly from the $999 group to the $4,999 group (red line), the resulting proportion of profitable accounts increased dramatically by 12 basis points (blue bars). Then, as further capital is added to the accounts such that they moved into the $9,999 category, the effective leverage continued to incrementally drop pushing the profitability ratio even higher to 37%.
Game Plan: How much effective leverage should I use?
We recommend trading with effective leverage of 10 to 1 or less. We don’t know when the market conditions will change causing our strategy to take on losses. Therefore, keep the effective leverage at conservative levels while using a stop loss on all trades. Here is a simple calculation to help you determine a target trade size based on your account equity.
Account Equity X Effective Leverage Target = Maximum Trade Size of All Combined Positions.
10 : 1 Leverage Calculations.
The above illustration shows a trader’s account size and the maximum trade size based on 10 to 1 leverage. That means if you have $10,000 in your account, then never have more than 100,000 of open trades at any one time.
The precise amount of leverage used is decided entirely by each individual trader. You may decide that you are more comfortable using an even lower effective leverage such as 5 to 1 or 3 to 1.
Most professional traders enter into trading opportunities focused on how much capital they stand to lose rather than how much capital they are looking to gain. Nobody knows the future movement of prices so professional traders are confident in their trading approach but conservative in their use of effective leverage.
Adjusting the effective leverage to suit your risk tolerance.
Our research indicates that accounts with the smallest capital base (the group labeled $999) have an average trade size of 26k for each trade. Their effective leverage is at least 26 times which is significantly higher than the 10 times leverage discussed earlier. If these traders want to trade at no more than a 10 to 1 effective leverage, they would need to make at least one of the adjustments noted below:
Increase their trading account equity by depositing more funds to an amount that reduces their effective leverage to less than 10 to 1. So our average trader, who is averaging 26k trade sizes, would need at least $2,600 in their account to trade 26k on a 10 to 1 effective leverage.
Decrease their trade size to a level that reduces their effective leverage to less than 10 to 1. Use the figure 3 calculations and chart above.
In the chart above, notice how the trade size remains relatively stable as the account equity increases from the $999 group to the $4,999 group. In essence, this indicates that traders are looking for, on average, at least $2.60 per pip (if they average 26k trade size, that is approximately $2.60 p/l per pip in most currency pairs).
There could be many reasons why traders average at least 26k for each trade, or $2.60 per pip. Perhaps they want a large enough trade size to make their time invested trading worthwhile. In other words, traders may be seeking a price per pip value and $2.60 is the minimum threshold on average. If these traders were to use no more than 10 to 1 effective leverage, they would need at least $2,600 in their account to support $2.60 per pip.
Another possibility is that many newer traders simply don’t understand the power of leverage and how one large losing trade can wipe out several winning trades in a row. Using a conservative amount of leverage will help slow down the rate of capital losses when a trader goes through a losing streak.
Regardless of the reasons, our goal is to use conservative amounts of leverage. If you know how much risk capital you have available, then use the chart and calculations used in Figure 3 to determine an trade size appropriate to your account size.
If you have a target “per pip” value, then use the calculations in figure 5 to determine the minimum amount of account capital needed to support your trade size. Increasing your capital base does not mean you will become more profitable. It means that you can stay in a trade longer if it goes against you. On average, traders that use a combination of sufficient capital (at least $5,000) and conservative use of effective leverage (10 to 1 or less) tend to be more profitable.
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Forex Trading in South Africa.
Forex Trading in South Africa.
I've tasked myself with a few months to learn as much as possible about the different options and to educate myself what it's all about before I make my first deposit.
What kinda platforms should I look into?
are a few sites that will help.
Don't trade on emotion Only trade with what you can afford to lose.
How greedy are you;when do you take profit?
How do you react when you lose a great deal of money?
1) blazingly fast lines with very low latency to the Forex data centres.
2) no loadshedding.
are a few sites that will help.
I understand its the craziest market and I want to try educate myself a lot before stepping into it.
Don't trade on emotion Only trade with what you can afford to lose.
Still a bit confused cause if I buy something, I can't see my current holdings..
Got so much to learn and ended up staying quite late last night watching different tutorials.
Forex Trading South Africa.
Forex Trading South Africa.
Want to trade Forex online in South Africa? TradeForexSA В answers questions for those who are getting started with Forex trading and gives honest and balanced reviews of the Forex brokers available online. В Forex trading can be a lot of fun, but it does come with a great deal of risk. В If we help you choose the best broker, by weighing every pro with a con, we have then succeeded in our goal.
The Best Forex Trading Brokers For South African Traders.
What is Forex Trading?
In the past, you might remember that when we traveled overseas we needed to exchange money before we hopped on the plane.  It meant that we needed to take money from our bank accounts and either change our money into cash or a traveler’s check that we could cash on arrival at our destination.  Although this no longer happens as much because of wide-spread credit card use, the practice of buying and selling one currency for another still takes place.  It takes place on the global currency market and everyone from the smallest of forex traders to the biggest of banks are continually buying and selling currencies for profit.
The Foreign Exchange Market, or Forex, is the biggest financial market in the world. Dealing in the trading of international currencies, Forex has different financial centers located around the globe, and buyers and sellers work throughout the week to trade currencies and other commodities.
Forex trading, as with the buying and selling of any other product on the market, has everything to do with supply and demand. В If we are going to sell a currency there must be someone else who must be willing to buy it. В Because of the potential for profit, there will always be a lower price and that buyer will be willing to pay for a unit of the currency than for buying it. В A forex trader is able to make a profit by purchasing a currency and then selling after the price has changed.
The biggest difference with Forex trading, compared to trading more physical products, is that traders can either invest in the price increasing or decreasing. В This is called going long, or short. В A forex trader is able to make money by speculating on a currency dropping in value (going short) or increasing in value (going long) as long as the determination is made in advance.
New to Forex Trading?
Learning to trade forex can be hard but you are not alone. В WeВ have put together a set of articles to get you comfortable enough to get you started and take that first step. Much of trading is learning by doing. Once you understand the basics because it is only using expert tools and doing your own analysis that you will start to understand what is involved. В So, as you choose your broker, read the following articles.
Starting Resources.
Getting started with Forex Trading.
Find a broker on our website that would suit you. Open anВ account on the broker website by providing your name and phone number. The broker will call to see how to give you the best start. Verify your identity & personal details by providing the requested documents. Make your initial deposit to start trading & get access to training material.
Featured Sections.
Demo Accounts.
Demo accounts are a good way for a new trader to try a broker without risking any capital.  Demo accounts often have all of the features you would expect from the broker, and it gives the trader a good feel for what trading would be like with MT4 or with the broker’s own software or apps.  Read more.
Cryptocurrency Trading.
Looking to trade Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Etherium? They have become very popular and are good trading for those who enjoy technical analysis and charts. В Here are the best brokers who offer these assets. В Read more.
Forex Trading Apps.
Some Forex trading apps are high quality and can be used in trading, price quotes, currency comparisons, and analysis. В Here is a list of brokers with great mobile apps so you are ready to trade on the move. В Read more.
What is Forex Trading Like?
Forex traders spend much of their time looking at the way the value of a selected currency changes over time. В This is always done in relation to another currency, just like the example above when we would sell our ZAR to buy another currency we traveled. В The best way to visualize these changes over time in on a chart, and below is the chart showing the changes in the ZAR and USD prices over time.
Is Forex Trading Profitable?
Forex Trading can be profitable or unprofitable depending on what at trader invests in, how the trader makes the investment, and the market conditions during the time they hold the investment. В These aspects working together will determine if the trade is profitable. В Forex traders will always lose a portion of their trades, so it is important for all traders to set a win-loss ratio that you should target. В As a general rule, a trader should not invest more than 2% of their total capital into one trade, and never trade any money that you can not afford to lose.
Are there Forex Trading Tools?
Yes, and there are a great number of tools to help with Forex trading. В Most of them are already included in the platform that you use when you sign up with the broker, but once and a while there is a great stand-alone piece of software that can be a real help in Forex trading. В We love to feature these kinds of software because we believe they have great value for the readers. В An example of a tool like this is FormationSeeker that helps traders identify harmonic patterns in the trading and highlights opportunities for profit. В For a full review of all Forex analysis tools, you can read our article.
Do forex traders pay tax in South Africa?
Forex gains are not tax-free income, and all gains from your Forex trading are taxable even if your brokage and capital are overseas. В South AfricansВ are expected to declare taxes just as with any other income either as an individual or a company. В For more on this read our taxation article for forex traders who reside in South Africa.
FSB Regulation in Forex Trading.
South Africa’s investment regulatory body is called the FSB (Financial Services Board) whose job it is to regulate all non-banking in South Africa. В Regulators like the FSB are put in place to protect the public from financial crimes and irregularities. В Today, in addition to regulating trading on the JSE, the FSB regulates Forex trading brokers.
Currency Trading Options.
Forex trading is only one of your options for trading. В There are other ways that we can trade with currencies and these can be good to mix into your trading portfolio. В CFDs, or Credit Default Swaps, can be traded with most brokers that you use for your forex trading. В Some brokers will also allow you to trade cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, which can add a different flavor to your trading. В Cryptocurrencies are not affectedВ by the fundamental data like inflation and unemployment that traditional currencies are subject to.
Forex Education – Learn to Trade Forex.
Forex Education – Learn to Trade Forex.
Forex trading can go either very well for you, or very bad, and it all depends on how much you have studied. After many s asking for tips on how to trade, and how to get started trading forex, we have happy to announce that we are going to build out our Forex university – a section of this website filled with articles from beginner basics to the advanced strategies in trading – with the goal of making YOU a better trader. В It is broken into three sections depending on where you are in your trading career.
Learn How to trade Forex in South Africa:
This is the basic introduction you need to get started trading in South Africa. В Everything you need to feel comfortable that you are doing everything correctly and legally.
Forex Trading Fundamentals:
Next up, we have a section that every new trader should read through and take notes from. В Once you have chosen a forex broker, and funded the account, these articles will give you a basic understanding of how to manage your account and your risk, and keep your capital base growing. Articles include:
Advanced Trading Strategy:
If you are a more advanced trader and you are looking to get more of an edge in your trading, or you want to learn some more detailed strategy, this is your section. В These articles are written from my experience inВ trading, and I also work to provide examples to illustrate conclusionsВ and make it the ideas easier for traders to implement. В Articles in this section include:
Currency Pair Analysis:
Here is some pair analysis that can help you learn the background of these currencies and teach you how to trade them.
EURUSDВ – with live charts, seasonal fluctuations, and historical analysis.
This is where we are for now. В If you have questions please write us, and we will do our best to answer those questions you have. В Remember that any advice that you read here, or on this website overall is at your own risk. Forex trading is a risk management business and sometimes you can win, and sometimes lose. Don’t risk more than you can afford to lose.
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