Trailing drawdown calculator
How does trailing drawdown change as my account grows?
The floor rises with qualifying account highs and stays in place when equity falls. Model intraday or end-of-day trailing to find your current buffer.
Illustrative model: a fixed dollar trail, checked against live equity.
Remaining drawdown buffer
$300.00
- Current floor
- $9,900.00
- High-water mark
- $10,400.00
Floor can rise with a new qualifying high.
| Equity | High | Floor |
|---|---|---|
| $10,200.00 | $10,200.00 | $9,700.00 |
| $10,400.00 | $10,400.00 | $9,900.00 |
| $10,300.00 | $10,400.00 | $9,900.00 |
Current equity also updates the intraday high-water mark. Missing highs understate the floor. This estimates the current threshold; it cannot certify that an account avoided an earlier breach.
Example: a profitable account with just $300 left
Start at $10,000 with a $500 trail. The initial floor is $9,500. An intraday equity high of $10,400 raises the floor to $9,900. If current equity falls to $10,200, you are still up $200 but only have $300 above the floor.
With EOD trailing, that intraday peak does not count. If the highest completed closing balance is $10,250, the floor is $9,750 and the same current equity has a $450 buffer. With a $10,000 maximum floor, a qualifying high of $10,500 reaches the lock.
Trailing drawdown questions
What formula does this calculator use?
Floor = qualifying high-water mark − fixed dollar trail, capped at your optional lock level. The high-water mark starts at initial balance and never falls. A 5% trail based on a $10,000 starting balance is a fixed $500 here.
Does every firm trail this way?
No. Some use balance highs, equity highs, a percentage of the changing peak, or payout-triggered locks. This tool models intraday equity or EOD balance highs with a fixed dollar distance. It does not apply firm presets or payout adjustments.
Does EOD mean breaches only happen at the close?
No. EOD describes when this model raises the floor. Live equity is still compared with that floor. Enter only completed closes in the EOD history, and keep current equity separate.
Does the floor come down after a losing day?
Not in this model. Lower observations leave the previous high and floor unchanged. The table illustrates floor movement, not account survival: missing lows and earlier breaches cannot be reconstructed from highs or closes.