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Vanguard+ - Trading Rules and Drawdown

Learn how risk per trade, drawdown rules, and the profit buffer work together.

Max Risk Rule

Feature

Details

Limit

1%

Basis

Initial account balance

Calculation

Balance minus equity

Applies To

Total exposure across all open trades

How It Works

The max risk rule is not calculated per individual trade. Instead, it measures your total floating risk at any given time.

The rule checks the difference between:

  • Your account balance

  • Your current equity

If that difference exceeds 1% of the initial account balance, it is a breach.

Key Principle

This rule applies:

  • Across all open trades combined

  • Regardless of the number of positions

  • Regardless of the symbol being traded

Example 1 – Single Trade

Account size: 100,000
Max allowed risk: 1,000

You open a trade and your floating loss reaches:

  • Equity = 99,000 → Balance = 100,000 → Difference = 1,000 — Within limit

  • If equity drops to 98,900: Difference = 1,100 — Breach

Example 2 – Multiple Trades

You have 3 open trades:

  • Trade 1: -400

  • Trade 2: -350

  • Trade 3: -300

Total floating loss = 1,050

  • Balance = 100,000

  • Equity = 98,950

Difference = 1,050 — Breach

Even though no single trade exceeded 1%, the combined exposure caused the breach.

Example 3 – Profit Then Exposure

Account grows to 103,000
Balance = 103,000

You open trades and floating loss becomes 1,100.

Rule is still based on initial balance (100,000):

  • Max allowed = 1,000

Even though you are in profit overall — this is still a breach.


Profit Buffer

Feature

Details

Limit

3%

Basis

Initial account balance

Applied At

Payout request

How It Works

The profit buffer means that the first 3% of profit on your account is reserved and cannot be withdrawn.

When you request a payout, only profits above the 3% buffer are eligible.

Example

Starting balance: 100,000
Buffer threshold: 3,000

  • Account grows to 101,500 → No payout available (below buffer)

  • Account grows to 103,000 → Buffer is exactly met, no withdrawable profit yet

  • Account grows to 105,000 → Withdrawable profit = 2,000 (105,000 − 103,000)

The 3% buffer remains in place and is never paid out directly — only gains above it qualify.


Trailing Drawdown

Feature

Details

Limit

5%

Basis

Initial balance

Behavior

Moves upward with equity

Lock Condition

Locks at initial balance after +5%

Example

Starting balance: 100,000
Drawdown floor: 95,000

Account grows to 103,000 → Drawdown moves to 98,000
At 105,000:

  • Drawdown locks at 100,000 (initial balance)


Trading Restrictions

Rule

Description

EA Trading

Allowed only with add-on

News Trading

Allowed only with add-on

Weekend Trading

Allowed only with add-on

Martingale

Not allowed

Hedging

Not allowed

HFT

Not allowed

Copy Trading

Allowed within same trader accounts


Key Notes

  • Risk per trade is strictly enforced

  • Floating losses count toward drawdown

  • The profit buffer applies at the point of payout — not during trading

  • Trailing drawdown behaves similarly to evaluation models


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