91% F&O Traders Lose Money: Is Your Portfolio Safe?

SEBI's latest study shows 91% of retail traders in equity derivatives (F&O) lose money. If you or someone you know trades futures and options, here's what the data really means for your savings and financial health.

Here's what happened: SEBI released a fresh study confirming that approximately 91% of individual retail traders in equity derivatives (F&O) incur net losses, a trend consistent across multiple years of data.. The study highlights that retail participation in F&O markets has surged despite poor profitability outcomes, with millions of small investors drawn in by social media and low-cost broking platforms.. SEBI's findings are part of its ongoing effort to regulate and reform the derivatives market, including recent measures like increased lot sizes, removal of most weekly expiries, and stricter margin requirements..

What you should do: Calculate your real F&O net P&L including all charges — brokerage, STT, GST, and exchange fees — before placing another trade, because gross P&L is always misleadingly flattering.. Redirect any money earmarked for speculative F&O trading into a diversified SIP in index mutual funds, where the long-term odds are demonstrably in your favour.. Avoid Telegram signal groups, YouTube 'gurus', or paid F&O courses — SEBI's data shows even experienced retail traders lose money, making paid signals a double cost drain..

Even a 'winning' F&O trader can end up net negative — STT on options alone can eat 0.1% per trade, turning small gains into losses over dozens of monthly trades.

For readers weighing their credit and loan options, our personal loan guide and CIBIL score resources put this update in context.