Futures Position Size Calculator

Six-step workflow

1. Copy current values from the official account, platform, or journal.
2. Keep every unit consistent; do not mix ticks, points, pips, dollars, or percentages.
3. Enter the planning assumptions without changing them to force a preferred answer.
4. Calculate and read every output, including the warning below the headline number.
5. Verify instrument specifications and binding firm rules at the official source.
6. Save the result with its date and compare it with what actually happened.

Understand the output

Formula: Contracts = floor(maximum dollar risk ÷ (stop ticks × tick value + fees per contract)).

Worked example: A $250 cap, 10-tick stop, $5 tick value, and $2.50 fees gives $52.50 risk per contract and a rounded maximum of four contracts.

Common mistakes: rounding up, changing a structural stop to force more contracts, using stale fees, and ignoring gaps.