The method
How a PipLadder ladder works
A ladder is a set of planned entries in one direction. The first rung opens when price reaches your zone. Further rungs open only if price keeps moving against the basket, and the whole basket closes together at one target.
The method
- Each pair has a sell zone near the top of its 12-month range and a buy zone near the bottom. Zones are recalculated from daily candles.
- A rung opens when price reaches its planned level. Rungs are spaced by a fixed gap, measured in pips.
- Lot sizes grow in steps as the ladder deepens, so later rungs carry more exposure than earlier ones.
- The basket closes as one trade at the weighted-average entry plus a small net target after modelled spread.
- When the basket closes, the ladder re-arms: a new basket can start once price has retreated from the zone.
Worked example: short NZD/CAD
The reference method: a sell entry at 0.8200, a 45-pip gap between rungs, 0.20 lots on the first rung and 0.20 more every two rungs, with a 10-pip net target and 2.5 pips of modelled spread. The table assumes each rung fills at its planned price.
| Rung | Price | Lots | Total lots | Average entry | Close all at | Floating at rung | Net if closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.82000 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.82000 | 0.81875 | $0.00 | +$14.23 |
| 2 | 0.82450 | 0.20 | 0.40 | 0.82225 | 0.82100 | -$64.05 | +$28.47 |
| 3 | 0.82900 | 0.40 | 0.80 | 0.82563 | 0.82437 | -$192.16 | +$57.22 |
| 4 | 0.83350 | 0.40 | 1.20 | 0.82825 | 0.82700 | -$448.37 | +$85.40 |
Position sizing
Lot sizes scale with your portfolio (the reference is $50,000), your leverage and your risk profile. The planner then limits the number of rungs so that a stress move stays within the profile's drawdown ceiling and margin use stays within its limit. If your portfolio is too small for the broker's minimum lot size, the planner says so.
Conservative
Half-size lots, wider and widening gaps, fewer rungs, lower drawdown ceiling.
Rung 1 at 0.10 lots per $50,000.
Up to 6 rungs.
Drawdown ceiling 20% at the stress distance; margin up to 20%.
Standard
The reference method: 0.20 lots per $50,000, uniform gaps, lots +0.20 every two rungs, up to 8 rungs.
Rung 1 at 0.20 lots per $50,000.
Up to 8 rungs.
Drawdown ceiling 30% at the stress distance; margin up to 35%.
Aggressive
Larger lots, tighter gaps, up to 10 rungs and a higher drawdown ceiling. Not recommended for small accounts.
Rung 1 at 0.30 lots per $50,000.
Up to 10 rungs.
Drawdown ceiling 40% at the stress distance; margin up to 50%.
The News Shield
Before and after high-impact economic events that affect your pairs, new rungs are paused. An economic calendar and a headline scan from central banks feed the shield. Closing and risk signals are never paused. You can switch the shield off in your trading profile, which is not recommended around scheduled releases.
How signals are sent
Signals arrive by email, Telegram, SMS and WhatsApp. Each channel is off until you enable and verify it. Quiet hours apply only to non-urgent event and digest alerts, never to trade, risk or security messages. Each signal states the price, lots, the close-all level and the next rung.
How results are tracked and published
Each closed basket records its rung prices, lots, close price and time, pips, and net USD after a modelled spread. Results are signal-tracked and hypothetical. They are not broker statements. Every published period also shows the deepest floating loss and any baskets still open at the end of the period. Members appear as Anonymous unless they choose a public profile.
Risks of this strategy
A ladder adds positions as price moves against you. That is the source of its risk. Read the risk disclosure before you start.
- You need a deep account
- Each rung adds exposure. The account must survive a long move against the first rung without a margin call.
- Losses grow with each rung
- A basket only closes at its target when price returns. A deeper trend means a deeper floating loss before that happens.
- Margin calls and stop-outs
- Leverage makes a ladder fail faster. Your broker may close positions before the planned exit.
- Gaps and slippage
- Price can jump past several rungs at once, and real fills can differ from the planned prices, especially around news.
- News and events
- The News Shield reduces exposure to scheduled releases but cannot anticipate surprises.
- Swap and financing costs
- Positions held for days or weeks can accrue financing costs that the model does not include.
- No promise of a result
- Nothing on this site promises a result. Past or simulated results do not predict future results.