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The Global Insight

How much do you have to lose before selling stock?

Author

John Hall

Updated on March 09, 2026

To make money in stocks, you must protect the money you have. Live to invest another day by following this simple rule: Always sell a stock it if falls 7%-8% below what you paid for it.

When should you cut your losses on a stock?

The golden rule of stock investing dictates cutting your losses when they fall 10 percent from the price paid, but common wisdom just might be wrong. Instead, use some common sense to determine if it’s time to hold or fold. Diversification.

What happens when you sell a stock at a loss?

If you sell stock at a loss or hold on to it as it becomes worthless, such as through a corporate bankruptcy, you can claim a capital loss on your taxes. A capital loss can offset stock gains or any other capital gains in the same year or up to $3,000 in ordinary income.

Should you sell your stocks before a recession?

Day trading as an investment strategy is generally a bad idea. Don’t sell just because your stocks went down. Last, but certainly not least, one thing that’s extremely important to avoid during recessions is panic selling when stocks fall.

How to deal with losses in the stock market?

Many investors sit tight and hope the stock will recover and regain the high, but that might never happen. Even if it does, too many investors hold on hoping for even greater profits only to see the stock retreat again. The best cure for this type of loss is to be happy with a reasonable profit.

What happens when you miss a profit in the stock market?

Missed Profit Losses. This type of loss results when you watch a stock make a significant run-up then fall back, something that can happen with more volatile stocks. Not many people are successful at calling the top or bottom of a market or a stock.

Do you feel like you lost money on the stock market?

Not many people are successful at calling the top or bottom of a market or a stock. You might feel that the money you could have made is lost money—money you would have had if you had just sold at the top. Many investors sit tight and hope the stock will “recover” and regain the high, but that might never happen.

How are short term and long term losses determined?

Determining Capital Losses. Capital losses are divided into two categories, in the same way as capital gains are: short-term and long-term. Short-term losses occur when the stock sold has been held for less than a year. Long-term losses happen when the stock has been held for a year or more.