To be a day trader of stocks, youneed capital. The stock market has a legal minimum capital requirement to day trade, but there is also a recommended minimum, which may vary by the individual trading style.Traders need to have enough capital to withstand a string of lossesand have the flexibility to take a wide array of trades that present various risks.
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. stock market has a legal minimum capital requirement of $25,000, which might be more or less than you might want to use to day trade stocks.
- Experts suggest that day traders start with at least a $30,000 account balance to provide for flexibility and the potential for losing trades.
- It’s recommended that day traders risk no more than 1% of their account balance on a single trade.
- The math should be calculated on every trade. Stocks usually trade in 100-share lots in $0.01 increments.
Risk Management and Day Trading Capital Requirements
In order to determine the amount of capital needed, risk management must be addressed. Day traders shouldn't risk more than 1% of their account on any single trade. If trading a $40,000 account, the maximum loss that a trader should take is $400 on any given trade.
Capital is the day trader's lifeline. It must be preserved during losing streaks, which inevitably occur. By only risking 1%, even a ten-trade losing streak keeps most of the capital intact.
Risk is determined by the difference between your entry price and your stop-loss order, multiplied by the position size. The next section looks at some examples.
Minimum Capital Required To Start Day Trading Stocks
For day traders in the U.S., the legal minimum balance required to day trade stocks is $25,000. If the balance drops below that level, day trading isn't alloweduntil a deposit is made bringing the balance above $25,000. To allow a buffer, day traders in the U.S. should have at least $30,000 in their account if they wish to day trade stocks. On $30,000, no more than $300 should be risked on any single trade.
Stocks typically trade in 100 share lotsand move in $0.01 increments. With $30,000 there is some flexibility; trade volatile stocks (which may require a larger stop-loss)and still keep risk below $300 with a small position size, or tradeless volatile stocks (with a smaller stop-loss), and take larger position sizes.
If you buya stock at $40 and place a stop-loss at $39.70, then risk is $0.30 on the trade. If your position is 1,000 shares, your position risk is 1,000 x $0.30 =$300.
This positionrisk must be less than 1% of the day trading account balance. To see if it is, divide $300by 0.01, to get $30,000. To make this trade, your day trading account balance must be $30,000, or greater.
If trading very volatile stocks you may need to risk $1 per share (the difference between the entry and stop-loss price). In this case, it will only take 300 shares, which is the maximum risk on the $30,000 account. (300 shares x $1 = $300)
If you are trading a low-volatility stock, you may need a risk of $0.05 per share (the difference between entry and stop-loss price). In this case you can take $300 /$0.05 = 6,000 shares. We just divided the maximum risk by the risk on the trade to get the position size.
Math like this should be done on every trade, making sure that each trade is 1% or less of the current account balance.
Day Trading Capital and Leverage
Day traders can typically access leverage up to 4:1 on their capital. If there is $30,000 in the account, up to $120,000 worth of stock can be traded at any given time ($30,000 x 4). That means position size multiplied by the tradeprice can equal more than the day trading account balance. Notice that the first example above requires $40,000 in buying power to attain (1,000 x $40), yet the trader only has $30,000 in the account. It is the power of leverage.
Even when leverage is used, the 1% risk rule is always applied to actual account balance ($30,000 in this case).
Capital Required To Start Day Trading Stocks
It's recommended that day traders start with at least $30,000, even thoughthe legal minimum is $25,000. That will allow for losing trades and more flexibility in the stocks that are traded. Day traders can trade more volatile securities, which will often require a larger stop-loss but a smaller positionsize, or they can trade trade less volatile stocks with smaller stop-loss but a larger position size. Total risk on a single trade should not exceed 1% of the day trading account balance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What tools do I need to be a day trader?
The main tool that a day trader needs is a brokerage to facilitate trades. Take time to find a brokerage that is right for you. During that time, you'll have the opportunity to get the rest of the tools of a successful day trader.Make sure to have access to a fast, reliable computer and internet connection. Research different software options and become acquainted with their dashboards. Also, use this time to create a routine that will keep your efforts consistent and aligned with your trading plan.
How can I get started day trading right now?
If you don't have the necessary funds to start day trading or are still unsure of the strategies you want to use, consider using a demo account to get the practice you need now to be a successful day trader later. During that time, you can try out different strategies, get the tools and software you need, and create a routine that will help you meet your goals when you are ready to get started.
