Risk Management

What Risk Management does

Risk Management lets you set a simple safety limit for a trading account. If the account crosses that limit during the day, AutoTrader Web can email you an alert so you decide what to do — or, if you choose to turn it on, square off your positions for you automatically.

You set the limit. You choose what happens when it is crossed. Every part of it stays under your control, and you can stop it at any time.

What you can set

For each trading account you can set:

• Maximum daily loss — get an alert (or an automatic square-off, if you turned it on) if the account’s loss for the day crosses an amount you choose.
• Profit target — get an alert (or an automatic square-off, if you turned it on) if the account’s profit for the day reaches an amount you choose.

The limits use your account’s live profit and loss for the day.

How to set a limit

1. Sign in to AutoTrader Web.
2. Open Trading → Risk Mgmt from the menu.
3. Pick a live account from the list.
4. Enter your maximum daily loss and/or profit target.
5. Click Save.

That is all. If the account crosses a limit during the trading day, you get an email alert. You can change or remove a limit any time from the same screen, and you can also see recent alerts for the account there.

Automatic square-off (optional)

By default, Risk Management only alerts you — it never places or changes an order on its own. If you want, you can turn on automatic square-off, so the software places exit orders for you the moment a limit is hit.

Because this places real orders, you turn it on yourself in a few clear steps:

1. On the Risk Mgmt screen, choose to activate automatic square-off.
2. Read the short note about the risks, then ask us to email you the terms.
3. Open the link in that email and agree to the terms.
4. Choose what should happen for each account — for example, square off everything — and save it.

You can switch any account back to alerts-only at any time. Please read the terms carefully before you agree: automatic square-off relies on live data from your broker, which can sometimes be delayed or wrong, and exit orders can fail or fill only in part during fast markets or broker downtime.

Why alerts-only is the safe default

Broker data — like live profit and loss — can sometimes be delayed or briefly wrong. Acting on a wrong value could square off a good position by mistake. That is why alerts-only is the default: you get a warning and decide. Automatic square-off is there for when you want it, but it is always your choice to turn on, and your choice to turn off.

Good to know

• Risk Management works with your live accounts.
• Set your limits carefully, and start with small amounts.
• Alerts are sent by email — make sure your email address is up to date in your profile.
• Automatic square-off is off unless you turn it on, and you agree to the terms before it is switched on.
• You can go back to alerts-only for any account at any time.

Have feedback on Risk Management? Tell us on our contact page — this feature is being shaped by user input.