TraderStart Risk & Position Size — Quick Start
1. Attach the indicator to a chart.
2. Click BUY or SELL to match the trade direction you want to plan.
3. Choose the sizing mode:
- RISK % to calculate the lot size from your chosen risk percentage.
- LOT SIZE to test a fixed lot size.
4. Click SET BALANCE or USE ACCOUNT.
5. Set your Risk % or Lot Size using the built-in keypad dialogs.
6. Drag the Entry, Stop Loss and Take Profit lines to the desired chart levels.
7. Read the planning output:
- Trade Levels
- Sizing Result
- Broker Reality
- Trade Outcome
8. Confirm the status line shows LINE SETUP VALID.
9. Use the numbers in your execution process.
Tip:
If your Actual Risk does not match the Target Risk exactly, check the broker minimum lot and lot-step values shown in the panel.
TraderStart Risk & Position Size
Professional risk planning directly on your chart.
TraderStart Risk & Position Size is a practical MetaTrader 5 indicator designed to help traders plan a trade before execution. The panel works directly on the chart and calculates core position-sizing and trade-planning values from the trade direction, sizing mode and the placement of the Entry, Stop Loss and Take Profit lines.
It is built to answer practical questions clearly:
- If I take this trade, how much am I risking?
- What lot size is required for my chosen risk percentage?
- If I use a fixed lot size instead, what is my actual risk?
- How many points is the stop distance?
- What is the current risk:reward ratio?
- Does my broker's minimum lot size and lot step affect the trade?
- Is my planning balance large enough for the chosen setup?
- What is the projected account balance if Stop Loss or Take Profit is reached?
MAIN FEATURES
BUY and SELL planning
Switch between BUY and SELL to plan long or short trades.
Two sizing modes
Risk % mode
Calculate the required lot size from a selected risk percentage.
Lot Size mode
Enter a fixed lot size and instantly see the actual risk.
Set Balance or Use Account
Use a custom planning balance for scenario planning, or pull in the account balance/equity using the Use Account function.
On-chart trade lines
Place and drag the Entry, Stop Loss and Take Profit lines directly on the chart.
The panel updates as the line setup changes.
Trade Levels section
Displays:
- Entry price
- Stop price
- Target price
Sizing Result section
Displays:
- Target risk
- Required lot
- Lot used
- Actual risk
- Stop distance in points
- Risk : Reward
Broker Reality section
Displays:
- Minimum lot and lot step
- Risk at minimum lot
- Balance needed
Trade Outcome section
Displays:
- Result if Stop Loss is hit
- Balance after Stop Loss
- Result if Take Profit is hit
- Balance after Take Profit
Line setup validation
The panel reports whether the current Entry / Stop / Target line placement is valid for the selected trade direction.
Built-in numeric input dialogs
The indicator includes on-panel keypad dialogs for setting planning balance, risk percentage and lot size without needing to type values manually.
Reset Lines button
Quickly reset the planning lines and recalculate from a fresh setup.
Customisable panel and visual style
Choose panel position, refresh speed and visual colours. A recommended light theme is also available.
Works directly on the chart
The indicator is designed to stay visual and practical. You plan where the trade would go, then read the risk, size and outcome numbers in context.
HOW TO USE THE INDICATOR
1. Attach the indicator to a chart.
2. Choose BUY or SELL.
3. Select the sizing mode:
- Risk % if you want the lot size calculated from the risk percentage.
- Lot Size if you want to enter a fixed lot and see the actual risk.
4. Choose whether to use a custom planning balance or load the account balance.
5. Set the planning balance, risk percentage or lot size using the panel controls.
6. Drag the Entry, Stop Loss and Take Profit lines to the desired levels on the chart.
7. Read the output sections:
- Trade Levels
- Sizing Result
- Broker Reality
- Trade Outcome
8. Confirm that the status shows the line setup is valid.
9. Use the information in your own execution process.
IMPORTANT NOTES
TraderStart Risk & Position Size is a planning and analysis tool. It does not place trades and it does not manage open positions.
The indicator helps you plan trade size and understand risk, but it does not provide automatic trade signals and does not guarantee a profitable result.
Projected outcomes are planning calculations based on the current line placement and broker lot constraints.
DEFAULT / STARTING PARAMETERS
The current build includes configurable defaults for:
- Default trade side
- Default sizing mode
- Default risk percent
- Default lot size
- Default risk:reward ratio
- Default stop distance in points
INPUTS / CUSTOMISATION
STARTING PLAN
- Default Side
- Default Size Mode
- Default Risk Percent
- Default Lot Size
- Default R:R
- Default Stop Points
PANEL
- Panel X
- Panel Y
- Refresh Milliseconds
- Apply Recommended Light Theme
VISUAL STYLE
- Entry Color
- SL Color
- TP Color
- Text Color
- Muted Color
- Panel Background
- Panel Border
- Button Background
- Button Active
WHO IT MAY SUIT
- Traders who want to calculate position size before entering a trade
- Traders who use fixed percentage risk per trade
- Traders who sometimes trade a fixed lot size and want the actual risk shown clearly
- Traders who want a quick visual way to compare stop distance, lot size and projected outcome
- Traders planning trades across forex, metals, indices, crypto or other broker-supported instruments
PRACTICAL USE
This indicator is best used as a risk-planning tool before trade execution. It is designed to help you stay structured and consistent by quantifying the trade before the order is placed.
TraderStart Risk & Position Size is intended to make trade planning clearer: side, size, levels, risk and projected outcome in one place.
TraderStart Risk & Position Size — FAQ
Does the indicator place trades automatically?
No. It is an analysis and planning indicator only. It does not place or manage trades.
What is the difference between Risk % mode and Lot Size mode?
Risk % mode calculates the required lot size from your chosen risk percentage and planning balance.
Lot Size mode uses your chosen lot size and shows the actual monetary and percentage risk.
What is Planning Balance?
Planning Balance is the balance value used for the risk calculations. You can set it manually for scenario planning or load the account balance using the panel.
What does Use Account do?
It loads your current account balance/equity into the planning workflow so you can plan from live account values.
What is Target Risk?
Target Risk is the monetary amount you intend to risk based on the planning balance and the chosen risk percentage.
What is Required Lot?
Required Lot is the calculated lot size needed to match the chosen target risk under the current trade setup.
What is Lot Used?
Lot Used is the actual lot size applied in the calculation after broker constraints such as minimum lot and lot step are taken into account.
Why can Actual Risk differ from Target Risk?
Because the actual lot used may be rounded to fit the broker's lot step or limited by the broker's minimum lot size.
What does Balance Needed mean?
Balance Needed is the approximate balance required for the chosen risk setup under the current broker constraints.
What does Risk at Minimum Lot mean?
It shows the amount of risk if the trade were placed using the broker's minimum allowed lot size.
What does Line Setup Valid mean?
It confirms that the Entry, Stop Loss and Take Profit lines are placed in a valid order for the selected BUY or SELL direction.
What happens if the line setup is not valid?
The panel will not present a normal planning result until the lines are positioned correctly.
Can I drag the lines directly on the chart?
Yes. The Entry, Stop Loss and Take Profit levels are chart objects that can be dragged visually.
Can I use a fixed lot size instead of a risk percentage?
Yes. Switch to Lot Size mode and set the lot size you want to test.
What does Risk : Reward show?
It shows the relationship between the stop distance and the target distance under the current setup.
What do the Trade Outcome values show?
They show the projected result if Stop Loss or Take Profit is reached, as well as the projected balance after each outcome.
Can I customise the colours and position of the panel?
Yes. The Inputs include panel location, refresh settings and visual-style colours.
Will it work on any symbol and timeframe?
It is intended to work on broker-supported symbols and timeframes because the tool calculates from prices and lot rules rather than from a specific strategy signal.
Is this only for forex?
No. It can be used on other supported instruments such as metals, indices or crypto, depending on your broker's symbol settings.
Is this an automatic trade signal tool?
No. It is a risk-planning and position-sizing tool.