Receiving emailed questions from students is always encouraging. Replying to them keeps me sharp as a trader and instructor. I recently received the following question which I thought would be great to share with everyone.

Hi Brandon,

If you have the time, can you help me understand how the below mentioned 3 terms are different from each other please?

Trading Question

  • Risk management

  • Trade management

  • Money management

This is an excellent question. Many traders think that those terms are synonymous. They refer to three different, distinct things. Online Trading Academy’s courses teach traders and investors what these terms mean and how they are critical to your market survival.

Risk management is the assessment and controlling of risks in the markets. Risk management involves identifying dangers in taking a particular trade such as location on the curve, location of supply and demand zones, and the trend. Managing risk means that when you eventually take the trade, you have identified the dangers and have only taken the trades that have a high probability for success.

Trade management is the act of managing a trade in process according to the rules you have set in your trading plan. You should have a set of rules that you will act upon while you are in a live trade or investment. These rules should include how you will move a stop or adjust to a trailing stop. It will also include rules for profit taking at your target or how your scale out based on having multiple targets.

Finally, money management is important to your being able to trade long term. If you do not protect your money, you will not have it to trade with. Money management requires you to decide how much capital you will risk on every trade. Risk too much and your losses may pile up and prevent you from being able to trade in the future. Risking too little and you are not maximizing your ability to earn from the markets. There is a right number for each trader and each trade that you must figure out.

This has just been a basic overview and definition of the terms. In our courses at Online Trading Academy, we dive deep into each of these three management areas. Come join us in one of our courses and discover how you can improve your trading and manage your market success.

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Neither Freedom Management Partners nor any of its personnel are registered broker-dealers or investment advisers. I will mention that I consider certain securities or positions to be good candidates for the types of strategies we are discussing or illustrating. Because I consider the securities or positions appropriate to the discussion or for illustration purposes does not mean that I am telling you to trade the strategies or securities. Keep in mind that we are not providing you with recommendations or personalized advice about your trading activities. The information we are providing is not tailored to any individual. Any mention of a particular security is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold that or any other security or a suggestion that it is suitable for any specific person. Keep in mind that all trading involves a risk of loss, and this will always be the situation, regardless of whether we are discussing strategies that are intended to limit risk. Also, Freedom Management Partners’ personnel are not subject to trading restrictions. I and others at Freedom Management Partners could have a position in a security or initiate a position in a security at any time.

Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD consolidates around 1.0900, bullish bias remains ahead of key US data

EUR/USD consolidates around 1.0900, bullish bias remains ahead of key US data

The EUR/USD pair is seen consolidating its strong gains registered over the past two days and oscillating in a narrow band during the Asian session on Tuesday. Spot prices currently trade around the 1.1900 mark, just below an over one-week high touched the previous day.

GBP/USD tilts bullish as markets barrel toward mid-week NFP print

GBP/USD tilts bullish as markets barrel toward mid-week NFP print

GBP/USD is holding a broader bullish structure on the daily chart, with price trading well above the 50 Exponential Moving Average at 1.3507 and the 200 EMA at 1.3310, confirming the intermediate uptrend that has been in place since the November 2025 low near 1.2300. 

USD/JPY stays defensive below 156.00 as focus shifts to US data

USD/JPY stays defensive below 156.00 as focus shifts to US data

USD/JPY stays on the back foot below 156.00 in the Asian session on Tuesday. The Japanese Yen holds the upper hand over the US Dollar after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi led the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to a historic landslide win and on intervention talks. Traders brace for key US economic data that could offer more clues on the Federal Reserve's monetary policy.


Editors’ Picks

AUD/USD consolidates below 0.7100 on broad US Dollar weakness

AUD/USD consolidates below 0.7100 on broad US Dollar weakness

AUD/USD is consolidating below three-year highs of 0.7099 after a strong break above the 0.7000 psychological level for the first time since February 2023, supported by the Reserve Bank of Australia's hawkish monetary policy stance and broad-based US Dollar weakness. 

Gold retreats below $5,050 on profit-taking ahead of US data

Gold retreats below $5,050 on profit-taking ahead of US data

Gold price attracts some sellers in the Asian session on Tuesday, falling back below $5.050. The precious metal edges lower amid improved risk sentiment and some profit-taking. Traders look to the US Retail Sales data and Fedspeak due later in the day ahead of Wednesday's Nonfarm Payrolls release.  

USD/JPY stays defensive below 156.00 as focus shifts to US data

USD/JPY stays defensive below 156.00 as focus shifts to US data

USD/JPY stays on the back foot below 156.00 in the Asian session on Tuesday. The Japanese Yen holds the upper hand over the US Dollar after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi led the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to a historic landslide win and on intervention talks. Traders brace for key US economic data that could offer more clues on the Federal Reserve's monetary policy.

Litecoin eyes $50 as heavy losses weigh on investors

Litecoin eyes $50 as heavy losses weigh on investors

Following a strong downtrend across the crypto market over the past week, Litecoin holders are under immense pressure. The Bitcoin fork has trimmed about $1.81 billion from its market capitalization since the beginning of the year, sending it below the top 20 cryptos by market cap.

The market is buying everything again but is it dancing on a borrowed floor

The market is buying everything again but is it dancing on a borrowed floor

The market has a short memory and a fast trigger finger. Last week’s liquidation barely cooled before risk came roaring back, pushing the S&P toward record territory and reinstalling Big Tech as the engine of choice. This is not discovery. It is re exposure.

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