Drawdowns & Capital Preservation

Handling losses, drawdowns, and long-term capital survival.

Part of Risk Management

What you will learn

This scope is designed to help you build a practical understanding of Drawdowns & Capital Preservation. Lessons move from core definitions to real-world context and common failure points.

Lessons

Reading in order is recommended, but each lesson stands on its own.

10 min read
Intermediate

What Is a Drawdown?

A clear, practical explanation of drawdowns, why they matter for capital preservation, how to measure them, and how they appear in real trading. Includes common misconceptions and governance considerations without recommending strategies or trades. It focuses on risk control and long-term survivability.

10 min read
Intermediate

Why Drawdowns Matter

Drawdowns are a primary lens for understanding risk, capital preservation, and long-term survivability. This article defines drawdowns precisely, explains why they dominate risk control, illustrates how they appear in real trading, and addresses common misconceptions that distort interpretation.

13 min read
Intermediate

Drawdown vs Volatility

A rigorous examination of drawdown and volatility as distinct risk concepts, why the distinction matters for capital preservation, and how each metric behaves in real trading conditions. The article clarifies measurement, interpretation, and common pitfalls that affect long-term survivability.

12 min read
Intermediate

Recovering From Drawdowns

Recovering from drawdowns is a core risk management concept focused on how capital rebounds after peak-to-trough losses. Understanding the math, time dynamics, and behavioral challenges of recovery helps protect trading capital and support long-term survivability.

12 min read
Intermediate

Psychological Impact of Drawdowns

Drawdowns strain both capital and judgment. This article explains how the psychological impact of equity declines affects risk control, decision quality, and long-term survivability in trading and investing contexts, with practical illustrations and common pitfalls.

10 min read
Intermediate

Capital Preservation Principles

A rigorous explanation of capital preservation principles, the mathematics of drawdowns, and how disciplined risk control supports long-term trading survivability without prescribing trades or forecasting markets. The article clarifies definitions, shows practical contexts, and corrects common misconceptions.

12 min read
Intermediate

Maximum Drawdown Explained

An in-depth explanation of maximum drawdown, how it is computed, why it matters for capital preservation, and how to interpret it in real trading conditions without offering investment advice or market predictions.','content':'Drawdowns are the language of loss in portfolio management. While returns describe how capital grows, drawdowns reveal how …

12 min read
Intermediate

Compounding and Drawdowns

A rigorous explanation of how compounding interacts with drawdowns, why the asymmetry of losses governs capital preservation, and how these ideas shape risk management and long-term survivability in trading contexts. Includes practical examples, core calculations, and common misconceptions to avoid.

10 min read
Intermediate

Reducing Drawdown Severity

An in-depth explanation of drawdowns, why reducing their severity is central to capital preservation and long-term survivability, how severity is measured and monitored, and where traders often misinterpret or mishandle the risk of deep equity declines.

12 min read
Intermediate

Risk of Ruin Explained

Risk of ruin describes the probability that a trading account falls to a capital level where the trader can no longer continue. This article explains how ruin differs from ordinary drawdowns, why it is central to capital preservation, how simple probability models illuminate the drivers of ruin, and where practitioners commonly underestimate it.