Stop-Loss Purpose & Placement

Learn Stop-Loss Purpose & Placement — part of our Risk Management series on Trading Bite. Free trading education for Pakistan, India & Gulf traders. Educational use only; not financial advice.

Your planned exit when wrong

A stop-loss (SL) closes the trade automatically at a set price to cap loss. It turns an undefined risk into a defined one.

Common placement ideas (not rules)

  • Beyond recent swing high/low on your timeframe.
  • Beyond support/resistance zone with small buffer.
  • Fixed pip distance only if it respects structure (avoid arbitrary stops).
Stop below swing lowEntry
Moving a stop further away to avoid loss usually increases risk and is a common account-killer habit.