# Custom Balance / Chart

* Set to 0 to disable: The EA uses the **real account balance** as usual (default behavior).
* **Set to a value greater than `0`, but less than the actual account balance**: The EA treats this value as the **simulated balance** for that chart. It ignores the full account balance for all calculations on this instance.

When active, this option controls **all core money-based logic**, including:

* Position sizing (e.g., based on risk or percentage of balance)
* Maximum lot size limits
* Hard stop triggers and loss thresholds
* Trailing stop behavior
* Recovery logic and behavior
* Profit targets and exit conditions

The EA behaves **as if it's operating on a separate account** with this fixed balance.

By setting this value, you can **limit the effective balance** used by the EA on that chart, creating isolated strategies or simulating smaller account environments.

All internal calculations — including **lot size, Hard Stop %, trailing logic, recovery behavior, and profit handling** — will be based on this fixed amount.

{% hint style="info" %}

#### 🚨 Important Notes:

* **Must be lower than the actual account balance** — otherwise, the EA will revert to using the real balance.
* When **drawdown from this chart’s trades** exceeds the defined custom balance, **recovery logic will be suspended** until balance conditions are safe again (unless [Disable margin limit check](/smartchoise-manual/options/general-and-utility/disable-margin-limit-check.md) is enabled)
* This does **not isolate risk from other charts on the account** — it only affects EA logic on this instance.

Recommended when running **multiple charts** with different strategies or risk profiles on the same trading account. 

* This setting affects **all balance/equity-based calculations**.
* For consistent results, make sure **each chart uses a unique Magic Number**
* **Will reduce risk** when used with **default lot size settings** and an **appropriate Risk Level for specified balance**.
  {% endhint %}

{% hint style="success" %}

#### Use Cases:

* Testing strategies as if on a smaller account (e.g., simulate a $500 balance on a $10,000 account).
* Running multiple strategies in parallel with **virtual balance segregation**.
* Preventing one strategy from scaling too aggressively based on full account equity.

**Example**

You have a **$10,000 live account**, and want to run **two EAs with different risk settings**:

* Chart 1: **Fixed Balance = $2,000**
* Chart 2: **Fixed Balance = $3,000**

Each EA will then behave as if it's running on a $2K and $3K account respectively — giving you better control over risk allocation without needing multiple accounts.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="danger" %}
This is **not** a strict risk-limiting feature. It only affects how the EA **calculates position size and behavior** — not how much of your actual account balance is exposed during trading.

However, when used correctly (especially on larger accounts), it can help **control and reduce risk** by simulating smaller account sizes per chart and isolating strategies more effectively.
{% endhint %}


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