Bitcoin stop loss strategy

• Overview
• Introduction to Orders and Execution
  • Overview
  • Execution
  • Understanding Order Execution
  • Open Order
• Market, Stop, and Limit Orders
  • Overview
  • Market Order vs. Limit Order
  • Limit Order vs. Stop Order
  • Buy Limit Order
  • Buy Stop Order
  • Stop-Loss Order
  • Determining Where to Set Your Stop-Loss
  • Stop-Limit Order
  • Stop-Loss vs. Stop-Limit Order
  • Buy Limit vs. Sell Stop Order
  • Take-Profit Order
• Order Duration
  • Overview
  • Time In Force
  • Day Order Definition
  • Good 'Til Canceled [GTC]
  • Immediate Or Cancel Order [IOC]
  • Fill Or Kill [FOK]
  • Market-On-Open Order [MOO]
  • Market-On-Close Order [MOC]
• Advanced Order Types
  • Overview
  • Trailing Stop
  • Conditional Order
  • Contingent Order
  • One-Cancels-the-Other Order [OCO]
  • Iceberg Order

No one wants to lose money when they're playing the market. That's why it's important to set a floor for your position in a security. That's where stop-loss orders come in. But many investors have a tough time determining where to set their levels. Setting them up too far away may result in big losses if the market makes a move in the opposite direction. Set your stop-losses too close, and you can get out of a position too quickly.

So how can you tell where to set your stop-loss order? Read on to find out more.

What Is a Stop-Loss Order?

A stop-loss order is placed with a broker to sell securities when they reach a specific price. These orders help minimize the loss an investor may incur in a security position. So if you set the stop-loss order at 10% below the price at which you purchased the security, your loss will be limited to 10%.

For example, if you buy Company X's stock for $25 per share, you can enter a stop-loss order for $22.50. This will keep your loss to 10%. But if Company X's stock drops below $22.50, your shares will be sold at the current price.

Determining Stop-Loss Order

Determining stop-loss order placement is all about targeting an allowable risk threshold. This price should be strategically derived with the intention of limiting loss. For example, if a stock is purchased at $30 and the stop-loss is placed at $24, the stop-loss is limiting downside capture to 20% of the original position. If the 20% threshold is where you are comfortable, place a trailing stop-loss.

There are plenty of theories on stop-loss placement. Technical traders are always looking for ways to time the market, and different stop or limit orders have different uses depending on the type of timing techniques being implemented. Some theories use universal placements such as 6% trailing stops on all securities, and some theories use security- or pattern-specific placements including average true range percentage stops.

Stop-Loss Placement Methods

Common methods include the percentage method described above. There's also the support method which involves hard stops at a set price. This method may be a little harder to practice. You'll need to figure out the most recent support level of the stock. As soon as you've figured that out, you can place your stop-loss order just below that level.

The other method is the moving average method. By using this way, stop-losses are placed just below a longer-term moving average price rather than shorter-term prices.

Swing tradersoften employ a multiple-day high/low method, in which stops are placed at the low price of a predetermined day's trading. For example, lows may consistently be replaced at the two-day low. More patient traders may use indicator stops based on larger trend analysis. Indicator stops are often coupled with other technical indicators such as the relative strength index [RSI].

What to Consider With Stop-Loss Orders

As an investor there are a few things you'll want to keep in mind when it comes to stop-loss orders:

• Stop-loss orders are not for active traders.
• Stop-loss orders don't work well for large blocks of stock as you may lose more in the long run.
• Brokers charge different fees for different orders, so keep an eye out for how much you're paying.
• And never assume your stop-loss order has gone through. Always wait for the order confirmation.

The Bottom Line

Traders should evaluate their own risk tolerances to determine stop-loss placements. Specific markets or securities should be studied to understand whether retracementsare common. Securities that show retracements require a more active stop-loss and re-entry strategy. Stop-losses are a form of profit capturing and risk management, but they do not guarantee profitability.

• Order Definition
  1 of 26
• Execution Definition
  2 of 26
• Understanding Order Execution
  3 of 26
• Open Order Definition
  4 of 26
• Market Order vs. Limit Order: What's the Difference?
  5 of 26
• Limit Order vs. Stop Order: What's the Difference?
  6 of 26
• Buy Limit Order: Definition, Example, Pros and Cons
  7 of 26
• Buy Stop Order Definition
  8 of 26
• Stop-Loss Order Definition
  9 of 26
• Determining Where to Set Your Stop-Loss
  10 of 26
• Stop-Limit Order Definition
  11 of 26
• Stop-Loss vs. Stop-Limit Order: Which Order to Use?
  12 of 26
• Buy Limit vs. Sell Stop Order: Whats the Difference?
  13 of 26
• Take-Profit Order - T/P
  14 of 26
• Time In Force Definition
  15 of 26
• Day Order
  16 of 26
• Good 'Til Canceled [GTC] Definition
  17 of 26
• Immediate Or Cancel Order [IOC]
  18 of 26
• Fill Or Kill [FOK] Definition
  19 of 26
• Market-On-Open Order [MOO] Definition
  20 of 26
• Market-On-Close [MOC] Order Definition
  21 of 26
• Trailing Stop Definition and Uses
  22 of 26
• Conditional Order Definition
  23 of 26
• Contingent Order Definition
  24 of 26
• One-Cancels-the-Other [OCO] Order Definition
  25 of 26
• Iceberg Order Definition
  26 of 26