Calculate the gain required to recover from a drawdown. Understand why protecting capital is more important than chasing returns.
Gain Needed = (Peak ÷ Current − 1) × 100%
Example: Peak $10,000, current $7,000 (−30%): ($10,000 ÷ $7,000 − 1) × 100 = 42.9% gain needed
Because the gain is calculated on a smaller balance. A 50% loss requires a 100% gain to recover. A 20% loss needs 25%. This is why risk management matters.
Professional traders aim to keep maximum drawdown below 20%. Drawdowns above 30% become increasingly difficult to recover from and can destroy trading psychology.
It depends on your risk per trade. Risking 2% per trade, it takes about 34 consecutive losses to hit 50% drawdown. Risking 5% per trade, only 13 consecutive losses reach that level.
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Calculator results are estimates only — not financial advice. Trading involves significant risk of loss. Full risk disclosure.
Drawdown
−25.00%
Loss (USD)
−$2,500.00
Recovery Needed
+33.33%
Current Balance
$7,500.00
Drawdown Severity
25.0%Recovery Timeline
Months to Recover
10
at 3%/month return
Gain Needed
+33.3%
from current to peak
Recovery curve
Recovery with Monthly Deposits
| Monthly Deposit | Months to Recover |
|---|---|
| $0/mo | 10 months |
| $500/mo | 4 months |
| $1,000/mo | 3 months |
| $2,000/mo | 2 months |
Recovery calculation uses the monthly return rate (3%/mo) set above. Deposits accelerate recovery by adding capital each month.
Drawdown Recovery Reference
| Drawdown | Recovery Needed |
|---|---|
| −5% | +5.3% |
| −10% | +11.1% |
| −20% | +25% |
| −25%← yours | +33.3% |
| −30% | +42.9% |
| −40% | +66.7% |
| −50% | +100% |
| −75% | +300% |
Max Risk Per Trade
| Streak | Max Risk % | $ risk at $10k |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7.17% | $716.82 |
| 4 | 5.43% | $542.58 |
| 5← current | 4.36% | $436.48 |
| 6 | 3.65% | $365.08 |
| 7 | 3.14% | $313.75 |
| 10 | 2.21% | $220.67 |
Formula: r = 1 − (1−DD%)^(1/streak). Lots column assumes EUR/USD at 30:1, 20-pip SL, $10k balance.
Trade History Stress Test
Drawdown = (Peak − Current) ÷ Peak × 100. Recovery = (Peak − Current) ÷ Current × 100. The asymmetry is why large drawdowns are so dangerous: −50% requires +100% to recover.