A stop order becomes executable when price trades through your trigger. In fast markets, fills can slip beyond the stop level — especially around gaps and halts.
Stop-limit orders cap fill price but may not execute if price jumps through your limit. Some traders prefer mental stops with discipline; others prefer guaranteed stops where offered and regulated.
Stops manage risk; they do not define edge. Place them where your thesis is invalidated, not where account pain feels tolerable.
Educational only · not investment advice · Risk disclosures