Lesson 9 · See the complete money picture
v.1.9.21 · Liquidity, Smart Hedge and Inputs for this lesson
The existing lesson below describes normal operation. While Smart Hedge owns the round, legacy exits are paused. Monitor total Profit and finish with STOP. Read the updated Hedge section first.
Money management begins with knowing what you can afford to risk and what remains exposed. A withdrawal or one profitable day does not prove the whole system has made money.
Match your starting funds and minimum lot to the account
EA F1 v.1.9.21 starting guideline: allocate 200 USD or 200 USC per 0.01 lot, according to the account unit and contract type. XM Ultra Low Micro / Micro uses the separate rule below.
Account denominated in USD
Allocated funds200 USDStarting lot0.01 lotGeneral course guideline
Cent account denominated in USC
Allocated funds200 USCStarting lot0.01 lotFor a supported Cent account and Cent contract. Check the symbol and contract size first.
XM Ultra Low Micro / Micro
Allocated funds20 USDStarting lot0.10 lotFor MT5 accounts starting at a minimum of 0.10 Micro lot. This is not 0.10 Standard lot.
When USC means US cents: 200 USC = 2 USD, while 200 USD = 20,000 USC. A displayed balance of 200 in these two accounts is not the same dollar amount. Contract size may also differ across account types.
Why does XM Micro start at 0.10 lot?
A Micro contract is 1/100 of a Standard contract when comparing the same instrument using this scale. Do not compare the displayed numbers 0.10 and 0.01 without checking their contract types.
Contract-size comparison when Micro = 1/100 of Standard
1.00 Micro lot = 0.01 Standard lot0.10 Micro lot = 0.001 Standard lotCheck three things before START
- Match the account unit and account type to the cards above.
- In MT5: Market Watch → right-click the instrument → Specification. Check Contract size, Minimum volume and Volume step, especially for gold and Bitcoin.
- Check Equity and the combined size of positions that may open. Plan for a structure change: use STOP to close all positions in the round; do not raise the lot to recover a loss.
These are EA F1 course guidelines for allocated starting funds and lots, not the broker’s minimum deposit or a guaranteed maximum loss.
Check your understanding of funds and lots
Does a balance of 200 USC mean 200 USD?
Show answer and reasoning
No. When USC means US cents, 200 USC is 2 USD. Use the Cent account guideline with the matching contract specification.
Under this guideline, what starting volume is used with 20 USD in XM Micro?
Show answer and reasoning
0.10 Micro lot, entered as 0.1 in Volume. Verify that both the account and the symbol are Micro, rather than Standard.
Is 0.10 Micro lot equal to 0.10 Standard lot?
Show answer and reasoning
No. With a Micro contract sized at 1/100 of Standard, 0.10 Micro lot corresponds to 0.001 Standard lot, not 0.10 Standard lot.
Set the lot for the correct account before starting EA F1
Course starting guideline: 0.01 lot for a regular account; 0.1 Micro lot for XM Ultra Low Micro / Micro on MT5 (0.10 is the same value). Verify the actual account, symbol and contract.
- Stop the current round first. Practise on Demo if unfamiliar.
- Open the properties of the EA attached to the chart and check the Inputs tab. Confirm the lot parameter with support before changing it; its name may vary by version.
- Use 0.01 for the regular account or 0.1 for the XM Micro contract. After saving, check the Lot displayed by the EA without pressing START.
- Volume in the New Order window controls a manual order. It does not necessarily change the EA’s lot setting; use the correct EA input.
Regular account · 0.01 lot example
XM Micro · 0.1 lot example
Divide capital into pots: trade one pot, keep reserves separate
Treat the entire funded trading account as the active risk pot. Keep the other pots outside that account. Depositing everything and dividing it only mentally does not isolate the reserve. The aim is to control how much money you allocate to each attempt, not to make an unpredictable market safe.
Cent-account example: 1,000 cent per pot with 0.05 lot
This follows the course ratio of 200 USC per 0.01 lot: 1,000 ÷ 200 × 0.01 = 0.05 lot. It applies only to the matching Cent account and contract. Do not copy 0.05 directly into Standard or XM Micro accounts. Multiple positions can make combined volume greater than 0.05; check all open positions.
What happens after a profit or the loss of a pot?
1 · Fund only the chosen pot
In this example, put 1,000 cent into the trading account and keep 9,000 cent as a separate reserve. Define size and a STOP plan before starting. Ten separate trading accounts are not required, but the reserve must remain outside the active risk account.
2 · After closing a profitable round
Use STOP to close the entire round. Check for remaining positions or orders that could restart trading, then check history and costs. If withdrawing profits, withdraw realised funds under the broker’s rules and record successful withdrawals.
3 · When structure changes or losses develop
Try to end with a small profit or small loss according to the plan, using STOP to close all positions in the round. You do not need to wait until the pot is lost. Do not top up to support a losing position.
4 · If the whole pot is lost
Record the loss and stop to review the cause and cumulative loss budget. A new pot is additional money at risk; it does not erase the old loss. If the cause is unclear or the loss budget is reached, stop live practice.
5 · Start another pot only after review
If still within the predefined budget and choosing to restart, confirm no positions remain and the EA cannot start unexpectedly before funding. Recheck settings without increasing the lot to recover losses. Record every new funding amount as a deposit.
Track the total result even when a new pot restores the account balance
1,000 pot earns 500
- Account after the round
- 1,500 cent → 1,000 after withdrawal
- Profit withdrawn
- 500 cent
- Trading result
- +500 cent
1,000 pot earns 2,000
- Account after the round
- 3,000 cent → 1,000 after withdrawal
- Profit withdrawn
- 2,000 cent
- Trading result
- +2,000 cent
Entire 1,000 pot lost
- Account after the round
- 0 cent
- Profit withdrawn
- 0 cent
- Trading result
- −1,000 cent
After losing the first 1,000 and funding another 1,000: reserve 8,000 + trading account 1,000 = 9,000 cent. The cumulative loss is still 1,000 cent. A deposit is not profit.
How should you read the 500–2,000 cent daily figure?
The developer reports that a 1,000-cent pot using 0.05 lot may earn 500–2,000 cent under some market conditions, depending on entry and TP decisions. This lesson does not contain a complete, verifiable dataset establishing a daily average. Do not use that range as expected income or a target a beginner must achieve.
500–2,000 cent is 50–200% of a 1,000-cent pot, or 5–20 USD. That is an exceptionally high return; losing days and loss of the whole pot are possible. Holding tolerance is not a reason to ignore a changed structure. Floating profit is not withdrawn money.
Pot allocation does not guarantee a maximum loss. Execution slippage, broker terms and negative-balance protection matter. Verify the actual account and define both the per-pot allocation and a cumulative stop budget. Do not keep funding new pots without a limit.
Try answering before opening the explanation
Does depositing 10,000 cent in one account while mentally trading only 1,000 isolate the reserve?
Answer and reasoning
No. The entire account balance may support the open positions. Keep the unallocated reserve outside the active trading account.
Does funding a new 1,000-cent pot erase the first loss?
Answer and reasoning
No. Total capital fell from 10,000 to 9,000 cent. Continue recording new deposits and cumulative losses.
Must you hold until you earn at least 500 cent every day?
Answer and reasoning
No. This is not a verified daily average or guaranteed target. Follow the STOP plan when structure changes rather than forcing the target.
1 · Allocate risk before starting
Do not use money needed for living costs or obligations. Define the amount allocated, total size and the exit condition before entry. A written budget is a plan, not an automatically enforced maximum loss.
2 · Balance is different from Equity
Balance is the account balance after recognised transactions. Equity is current value including open profit/loss. Margin supports positions and Free Margin is the remaining amount according to the broker’s calculation. Credits or adjustments may affect the figures.
Fictional example without credit: Balance 200 USD and open loss 40 USD imply Equity of approximately 160 USD before any not-yet-included costs. Risk affects your account even before you close.
Check units: when USC means US cents, 100 USC = 1 USD and 20,000 USC = 200 USD. Cent lot can differ from standard lot. Verify the instrument’s contract specification rather than comparing the same 0.01 across account types.
3 · Today’s result is not the whole history
Profit and Today P/L are separate fields. A +30 day may still leave the account negative across the full period. Include losing rounds and every deposit, not just the winning days.
Define the same account, currency and time period. If combining accounts, do not double-count transfers between your own accounts as new outside capital.
4 · Combine three money fields
Use successful withdrawals + current Equity − total deposits. Include the initial deposit and every top-up; do not count a pending withdrawal as money already received.
This is ordinary account cashflow arithmetic, not the EA or indicator formula. Use the same currency and period. The examples exclude broker credits and special adjustments; subtract external transfer/conversion fees when needed, but do not subtract commission or swap again if already included in Equity.
Example: deposits 600 USD, withdrawals 150 USD and Equity 200 USD give −250 USD. You received or still hold 350, but put in 600. With another 5 USD of external fees, the result is −255 USD.
Historical phase-2 snapshot dated 2026-10-11: deposits 200.00 USD, withdrawals 22.30 USD and Equity 229.83 USD give +52.13 USD before external costs. This is a past snapshot, not a forecast.
5 · Why many winning rounds can still leave a loss
A fictional three wins of 30 USD total 90 USD; a 200 USD loss still leaves −110 USD overall. Winning-round count alone does not measure the complete result.
A simulation is not a probability forecast. It does not model margin, slippage, debt beyond the deposit or how long the account survives. Do not use it to justify losing an entire account.
6 · Before a withdrawal or top-up
Inspect the remaining positions, Equity and Free Margin after the funds change. A withdrawal can reduce the funds available to support volatility; Balance alone is insufficient.
Record successful deposits/withdrawals, external fees, current Equity, account units and UTC timestamp. A top-up is additional deposited capital, not proof that a bad trade became good. Reconcile the record after positions close.
7 · Mistakes that hide the true result
Do not omit losing rounds, top-ups or other accounts while displaying only profits. Do not assume withdrawals mean break-even. Do not increase lot just because you recently won.
The current Equity is a snapshot and may still change with open positions. Holding longer does not make the trade safe, and funds can become insufficient before a hoped-for recovery.
Practise before opening the answer
1 · Balance 200 USD, open loss 40 USD: what is the approximate account value?
Show answer and reasoning
Equity is about 160 USD before additional costs or adjustments. Balance alone hides the open loss.
2 · Deposits 600, withdrawals 150, Equity 200: profit or loss?
Show answer and reasoning
A 250 USD loss: 150 + 200 − 600 = −250.
3 · Deposits 200, withdrawals 50, Equity 170: result?
Show answer and reasoning
+20 USD before external costs. The Equity can still change if positions remain open.
4 · A day earns 30 USD. Is the whole system now profitable?
Show answer and reasoning
Not necessarily. Include deposits, withdrawals, Equity and previous losses over the same period.
5 · You add 100 USD after a loss. Must the ledger include it?
Show answer and reasoning
Yes, add it to cumulative deposits; otherwise the remaining money can look like trading profit.
6 · Is 20,000 USC the same as 20,000 USD?
Show answer and reasoning
No. If the unit is US cents, 20,000 USC is 200 USD. Verify the account unit.
7 · Does a personal 200 USD risk budget guarantee closure at exactly that loss?
Show answer and reasoning
No. The plan does not create an automatic closing order or guarantee execution at a loss ceiling.
8 · Balance seems sufficient for a withdrawal while positions remain open. Withdraw without further checks?
Show answer and reasoning
No. Inspect positions, Equity, Free Margin and broker withdrawal rules first.
Withdrawals + Equity − deposits
Fictional numbers only. Same account, currency and period; no broker credit or special adjustments. Subtract external fees separately. The current Equity may still change.
Your Demo homework
- Record Balance, Equity, Margin, Free Margin, account unit and UTC time on Demo.
- Use fictional numbers in the cashflow calculator; explain a positive and negative result.
- Increase fictional deposits by 100 while keeping other fields unchanged: the calculated result falls by 100. Connect your budget with the STOP plan from lesson 8.
Check your understanding
Check your understanding
Trading can cause substantial losses, including all allocated funds. Past results do not guarantee future performance. Practise on Demo and define your risk before trading.
EA F1 + Radar v.1.9.21 · Read the screen and new features
Read three things: trend gives direction · Liquidity marks an event to investigate · Smart Hedge manages a running basket when confirmed direction conflicts with existing positions. Gold uses M1 as its main trend; Bitcoin uses M5. Other timeframe trends provide context. A Buy Liquidity label does not replace the main trend.
Understand the new MT5 Inputs
Open EA properties on the chart → Inputs. EA and Radar have separate settings. Change settings while no round or positions are active, and test on Demo first. For Radar, open the chart's Indicators list, select F1 Radar → Edit → Inputs.
| Input label | Build default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Base Lot | 0.01 | Base volume per entry, not a cap on total exposure. XM Micro minimum is 0.1 under the account rules; check the symbol Contract size and Volume minimum. |
| Dynamic TP Factor | 1 | Adjusts normal Dynamic TP targets. It is not a guaranteed return percentage and is not an automatic exit while Smart Hedge owns the basket. |
| Initial Stop / Take Profit | 0 / 0 | Round money thresholds; 0 disables them. There is no enabled money Stop / TP at these defaults. Check USD / USC account units. During Hedge, use STOP to end the round. |
| Smart Hedge | true | Requires a Hedging account. Set false before a round to prevent a new Hedge. Switching it off during Hedge does not clear positions or resume the old branch; finish with STOP. |
| Smart Alert / Alert Language | true / TH | Enable advisory messages; choose TH, EN or LO. An advisory is not a guarantee or a trade-close command. |
| Tester broker UTC offset | 0 | Strategy Tester server-to-UTC conversion: enter 2 for server UTC+2, not your local timezone. Live uses system UTC. |
| Sound effect | true | Enables interface sounds. |
| Collect local AI research data | true | Available in both EA and Radar. Stores local data under MQL5/Files/F1_AI; no automatic upload or AI trading. Set false in both components to disable collection. |
| Radar: InpLiquidity | true | Displays M5/M15/H1/H4 Liquidity events; false hides these messages. |
| Radar: Warning language (InpLumiLanguage) | TH | Choose TH / EN / LO for Radar trend, warning and Liquidity text. This is separate from the EA Alert Language. |
Once Hedge takes control, legacy exits—including Dynamic TP, Initial Stop and the money Take Profit—are bypassed. Do not expect those settings to close the basket automatically. Positive total Profit brings a take-profit advisory; Sideway or a state needing reset brings a reset advisory. These messages do not close trades. Use STOP to end the round and close all EA positions, then verify completion. There is no automatic restart.
Hedge does not guarantee a loss limit. Monitor gross lots, Spread / Commission / Swap and Margin. Existing losses remain, and additional positions can increase risk. Do not raise lots to recover a loss.
Try before revealing the answer
Does Initial Stop = 0 with Smart Hedge = true guarantee an automatic stop?
Show answer
No. Zero disables Initial Stop; Hedge does not erase losses. Define risk, monitor Margin and know how to STOP.