[BrianTheDayTrader]

Hi fellas,

I’m new here and just getting my feet wet with online trading. I’ve got $1,500 in my account and have been practicing with a demo account from Axi so far, but I’m gearing up to trade with real money soon.

I’d love to hear any tips on trading with a small account, especially when it comes to managing risk, picking the right trade sizes, and avoiding being killed by fees.

Thanks

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[Christian Harris]

What assets are you looking to trade, as that can determine lot size and swap fees?

Remember, a well-regarded strategy is to never risk more than 2% of your account balance on a single trade. Setting a minimum 1:1 risk-to-reward is also a good starting point.

So, with your account size, start with micro lots (0.01).

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[BrianTheDayTrader]

Mainly metals and currencies at the moment.

Thank you for your suggestions, I really appreciate it.

 

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[Lucas]

Welcome to the world of day trading! It’s excellent that you’re starting with a demo account.

Here are my tips for managing a small trading account:

• Don’t risk more than 1%-2% of your balance on a single trade. If you have $1,500, this means not putting down more than $15-$30.
• Make use of stop loss orders to limit potential losses. Set these based on the volatility of the asset you’re trading and your risk appetite.
• Start with low leverage and only increase it as you become more experienced and confident in your trading system.
• Avoid overtrading as each trade can incur costs and too many losing trades especially could cut into your profits.

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[BrianTheDayTrader]

Thanks for your ideas, they are really helpful.

Stop losses I am familiar with but what counts as “low leverage”? Is the 50:1 I’m using on currencies about right?

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[Christian Harris]

50:1 leverage is considered low when trading FX.

With a solid risk management strategy, leverage can enhance returns without committing large amounts of capital.

I’d concentrate more on your risk-to-reward ratio.

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[BrianTheDayTrader]

Thank you and I shall focus on my risk to reward ratio.

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[Intraday Insider]

If you’ve got a small account balance, you’ll need to trade on margin. Without it, expect things to move super slowly and be a lot of effort.

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