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.