For intermediate traders
You didn't lose to the market. You lost to the rulebook.
If you've traded a funded account and it ended sooner than it should have, the cause was probably a rule you never read closely, not a bad trade. At this stage the skill that saves the most money isn't a better entry. It's learning to compare providers on the conditions that actually decide the outcome.
The gauntlet nobody advertises
Between passing a challenge and getting paid sits a series of gates. Every one is a place accounts fail, and every one varies a lot between firms:
The five conditions to check on every firm
Drawdown model: static or trailing?
A trailing drawdown climbs behind your profits, so you can breach the account while still up on the week. A static one doesn't. Same '$2,000 drawdown' can be two completely different products.
Daily loss limit, and does open P&L count?
On most firms a floating loss can breach you before you close the trade. Know the number in dollars for your instrument, and whether unrealized losses count.
Consistency rule: one big day = frozen payout?
Some firms cap how much of your profit can come from a single day. Make a monster day and your payout waits until your other days 'dilute' it. Others advertise no consistency rule. That's a real comparison point.
News & strategy rules
Restricted news windows, banned copy-trading, EA rules. Violations are often tolerated while you pay fees and enforced when you request money.
Payout gates
Minimum trading days, first-payout caps, required buffers and payout frequency. Together they tell you the real time-to-cash, which the split percentage never does.
Compare on rules and cost, not marketing
What the page shows you
- “Up to 95% profit split”
- “$200K funded account”
- A discount code and a countdown
- Screenshots of big payouts
What actually decides it
- Drawdown type, daily-loss and consistency rules
- Real risk budget (the drawdown, not the sticker size)
- All-in cost per trade, plus reset pricing
- Independent payout track record
Our comparison tables lead with the gates, not the split, so you can line firms up on the same criteria instead of comparing marketing pages.
Go deeper on the rules
Trailing Drawdown Explained
Why a trailing limit fails accounts that never had a losing week.
Consistency Rule Explained
The dilution math that turns your best day into a wait.
Payout Rules Explained
The gates between 'in profit' and 'paid'.
News Trading & the rules
Why firms fence off the news window, and how it burns traders.
Compare providers on the gates
Educational content only: not financial advice, and not a recommendation to choose any specific provider. Always verify current rules on the official provider site.