Risk per trade is the fraction of account equity you are willing to lose if a stop is hit. It is the most important number many beginners skip.
The one percent guideline
Many experienced traders risk roughly 0.5% to 2% of equity per trade. At 1% on a 100,000 account, a full stop loss costs about 1,000. That keeps a string of losses survivable.
Position size from stop distance
Formula in words: divide your dollar risk by the per share risk (entry minus stop). That gives share count. Wider stops mean smaller positions for the same dollar risk.
Correlated exposure
Five Nordic bank longs are not five independent bets. Cap sector and theme exposure even if each trade alone respects the risk cap.
Leverage and CFD caution
Leverage shrinks the price move needed to hit your stop in account terms. Sim trading on NordTraders uses a paper journal without broker leverage until you deliberately connect a live path.
Review weekly
Track average risk, largest loss, and whether you oversized after wins or losses. Discipline compounds more than any single indicator.