FundedTradingRules

Learning Hub — Evidence-First

Every rule, visually decoded.

Not a blog. An interactive learning system — every rule has a live visual, formula, real dollar example, and the exact firm wording that traps traders.

40 guides8 categoriesLive visuals• No affiliate fluff • Source-backed

Source → Rule → Risk → Decision

Source→Rule→Risk→Decision

This hub teaches the loop every trader must master before paying.

40 of 40 guides • Covering every single rule from daily loss to hidden conditions • Click any card to learn with animation

Balance $100KFloor $96K

Equity $101,000Distance $5,000

01 Risk Management Visual

Daily Drawdown Limit

The maximum loss your account can incur in a single 24-hour cycle before automatic breach.

Daily Loss Floor = Higher of (Day Start Balance, Day Start Equity) - (Nominal Size * Daily Limit %)

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

Peak $100,000Floor $94,000

Equity Trailing floor

02 Risk Management Visual

Trailing Drawdown vs Static Drawdown

A loss floor that ratchets higher as your peak equity rises, locking in risk levels.

Trailing Floor = Highest Equity Reached - Max Loss Allowance

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 2 firmsLearn

08:2808:30 CPI08:32

±2 MIN NO TRADE

Fill = breachHold = OK

03 Execution Rules Visual

News Trading & Execution Buffers

Restrictions on opening or closing positions during high-impact macroeconomic announcements.

Execution Restriction Window = Event Time ± 2 Minutes

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 2 firmsLearn

Best day $1,200 / $3,200

Within 50% limit

04 Evaluation Rules Visual

Trading Consistency Rules

A rule ensuring profits are achieved through repeatable strategy rather than a single lucky gamble.

Max Allowable Profit per Trade = Total Profit Target * Consistency %

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 2 firmsLearn

Day 18 — 12 days left • 0.01 lot resets clock

05 Account Rules Visual

Inactivity & Account Expiry

Automatic account lock after 30 days without a single trade — even if you are in profit.

Inactivity Lock = Last Trade Close Date + 30 Calendar Days (no trade = locked)

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 2 firmsLearn

Profit

$420

Days

3/5

Best

62% ✗

Buffer

$80 ✗

KYC

✓

Open

1

06 Payout Rules Visual

Payout Gates & Profit Split

The 6 checks that hide your payout button: profit, days, consistency, buffer, KYC, and caps.

Payout Eligible = Profit ≥ Min AND WinningDays ≥ Required AND BestDay% ≤ Limit AND Equity > Floor+Buffer AND KYC Passed

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 2 firmsLearn

Fri 15:10 CT — Standard funded must flat • Swing = hold

07 Execution Rules Visual

Weekend & Overnight Holding

Whether you must flat before Friday close and if you can hold through rollover.

Weekend Rule = If Standard Funded AND Friday Close - 2h AND Position Open → Breach (after-hours gap = firm flat)

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 2 firmsLearn

Minimum & Winning Days

The hidden day count: not just “trade 4 days”, but “4 profitable days with trades opened”.

08 Evaluation Rules Visual

Minimum & Winning Days

The hidden day count: not just “trade 4 days”, but “4 profitable days with trades opened”.

Trading Day = 1 if Position OPENED that calendar day (server time) else 0

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 2 firmsLearn

Lot Size & Contract Limits

Max lots per trade and max contracts held — exceed it and the account is hard-breached.

09 Trading Rules Visual

Lot Size & Contract Limits

Max lots per trade and max contracts held — exceed it and the account is hard-breached.

Margin Cap = Total Used Margin / Equity < 80% AND Open Lots ≤ Max Allowed

5 min • Topstep 2 firmsLearn

EA, Copy Trading & Hedging

Bots allowed, but hyperactivity, third-party EA clusters, and hedging across accounts = forfeiture.

10 Trading Rules Visual

EA, Copy Trading & Hedging

Bots allowed, but hyperactivity, third-party EA clusters, and hedging across accounts = forfeiture.

Prohibited = If (Requests/Day > 2000) OR (Same EA used by >N clients) OR (Hedge across accounts) → Review + Forfeit

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 2 firmsLearn

White line = 80% gambling tripwire

11 Risk Management Visual

Leverage & Margin Calls

How 1:100 leverage still kills you via margin, not just drawdown.

Used Margin % = Sum(Lot * Contract Margin) / Equity * 100 < 80% (Goat)

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 2 firmsLearn

KYC, Scaling & SIM vs LIVE

Why KYC after a big win blocks payouts — and why “funded” often means simulated.

12 Payout Rules Visual

KYC, Scaling & SIM vs LIVE

Why KYC after a big win blocks payouts — and why “funded” often means simulated.

Payout = Simulated Contract Reward (not SIPC) → KYC Passed AND Country Allowed AND No Prohibited Strategy

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 2 firmsLearn

Hidden Conditions & Conflict Detection

The “easy-to-miss” engine: buried FAQ rules that only appear at funded payout review.

13 Risk Management Visual

Hidden Conditions & Conflict Detection

The “easy-to-miss” engine: buried FAQ rules that only appear at funded payout review.

Easy-to-Miss Risk = Visibility (0–4) × Impact (0–100) → ≥140 = Flag

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 2 firmsLearn

Peak $102,000Static $92K vs Trail $94,000

■ Static locked■ Trail drag

14 Risk Management Visual

Static Max Drawdown Explained

A fixed loss floor set once at purchase that never moves, no matter how much profit you make.

Static Floor = Initial Nominal Size - (Nominal Size * Max Loss %)

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

EOD close $100,800Floor $98,800

Floor steps at close only • enforced live

15 Risk Management Visual

End-of-Day Drawdown Model

Trailing floor set from the highest end-of-day balance, but enforced live against intraday equity.

EOD Floor = Highest EOD Balance Reached - Max Loss Allowance (enforced live)

5 min • Topstep 3 firmsLearn

Peak $102,000Static $92K vs Trail $94,000

■ Static locked■ Trail drag

16 Risk Management Visual

Intraday Trailing Drawdown

The strictest model: every intraday equity peak instantly drags the loss floor higher.

Intraday Floor = min(Highest Intraday Equity - Allowance, Start + Buffer)

5 min • Apex Trader Funding 3 firmsLearn

EOD close $100,800Floor $98,800

Floor steps at close only • enforced live

17 Risk Management Visual

Drawdown Reset & Server Time

Daily limits reset at the firm server midnight, not your local midnight — trade the wrong hour and you double-count risk.

Day Start Baseline = max(Balance, Equity) sampled at Server Midnight

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

Profit Targets by Phase

Fixed profit goals per phase — typically 8% then 5% — with zero target once funded.

18 Evaluation Rules Visual

Profit Targets by Phase

Fixed profit goals per phase — typically 8% then 5% — with zero target once funded.

Target Balance = Nominal Size * (1 + Target %)

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

White line = 80% gambling tripwire

19 Trading Rules Visual

80% Margin Gambling Rule

If used margin ever exceeds 80% of equity, the account is flagged as gambling — even without a drawdown breach.

Margin Usage % = Peak Used Margin / Equity * 100 must stay < 80%

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

Shared VPS 192.0.2.14scanning…

Same IP + mirrored entries = cluster flag

20 Account Rules Visual

IP & Device Cluster Reviews

Logins from shared IPs or devices link accounts together — one flagged trader can taint the cluster.

Cluster Flag = If (Shared IP OR Shared Device OR Mirrored Entries) → Manual Review

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

White line = 80% gambling tripwire

21 Risk Management Visual

Micro Account Risk Tripwire

Small accounts hide tiny absolute limits — a $50 day on a $5K account breaches faster than the percent suggests.

Dollar Room = Nominal Size * Limit % (convert before trading)

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

HARD

Daily / max / cap = dead

SOFT

Margin / target / hold

Hard touch → instant termination

22 Trading Rules Visual

Prohibited Strategies List

Latency arbitrage, tick scalping, grid martingale, and account hedging void profits at review.

Veto = If (Latency Exploit OR HFT Ticks OR Grid/Martingale OR Cross-Account Hedge) → Profits Removed

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

Hyperactivity & Order Limits

Too many orders, modifies, or pending spam per day reads as toxic flow — even when each trade is small.

23 Execution Rules Visual

Hyperactivity & Order Limits

Too many orders, modifies, or pending spam per day reads as toxic flow — even when each trade is small.

Toxic = If (Requests/Day > ~2000) OR (Avg Hold < ~5s) → Review

5 min • FTMO 3 firmsLearn

Instruments & Trading Hours

Not every symbol trades all day — restricted exotics, equities windows, and futures sessions gate entries.

24 Trading Rules Visual

Instruments & Trading Hours

Not every symbol trades all day — restricted exotics, equities windows, and futures sessions gate entries.

Tradeable = If (Symbol Enabled AND Session Open AND Spread Normal) → Allowed

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

Rollover, Spreads & Swaps

The 21:00–22:00 UTC rollover hour widens spreads 5–10x — stops fill late and equity trips floors.

25 Execution Rules Visual

Rollover, Spreads & Swaps

The 21:00–22:00 UTC rollover hour widens spreads 5–10x — stops fill late and equity trips floors.

Rollover Cost = Widened Spread + Swap per Lot (counted in Equity)

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

Cycle 1/4 • caps lift with consistency

26 Payout Rules Visual

First Payout Timeline

First payout unlocks after active funded days plus a processing window — not the day you turn profitable.

First Payout Date = Funded Start + Active Days Required + Processing Window

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

Cycle 1/4 • caps lift with consistency

27 Payout Rules Visual

Payout Caps & Minimums

Minimum withdrawal floors and per-cycle caps decide how much of your $100K profit you actually touch.

Withdrawable = min(Request, Cap) where Request ≥ Minimum AND Equity - Request > Floor + Buffer

5 min • Apex Trader Funding 3 firmsLearn

Cycle 1/4 • caps lift with consistency

28 Payout Rules Visual

Payout Methods & Fees

Bank, crypto, and processor rails each add days and fees — net received is less than approved profit.

Net Received = Approved Payout - Processor Fee - Network/FX Fee

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

Cycle 1/4 • caps lift with consistency

29 Payout Rules Visual

Profit Split Progression

Headline 80–90% splits apply only after conditions — early cycles and add-ons change the math.

Trader Keeps = Withdrawable Profit * Split % (by cycle and add-ons)

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

$499 + 0 reset(s) + $50Total $549

■ Fee ■ Resets ■ Activation • refund only at payout

30 Commercial & Legal Visual

All-In Cost Per $100K

True cost is fee plus resets, activation, data, and add-ons minus refunds — not the sticker price.

All-In = Fee + Resets + Activation + Data + Add-ons - Refund (if paid out)

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

HARD

Daily / max / cap = dead

SOFT

Margin / target / hold

Hard touch → instant termination

31 Risk Management Visual

Hard vs Soft Breach Types

Hard breach kills the account instantly; soft breach closes trades or blocks payouts but lets you continue.

Hard = Instant Termination; Soft = Position Close / Target Raise / Payout Hold

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

Cycle 1/4 • caps lift with consistency

32 Evaluation Rules Visual

Scaling & Max Allocation

Grow 10% cleanly to double size — but total capital across all accounts caps near $300K–$600K.

Scaled Size = Base * 2 after Milestone; Total Active ≤ Max Allocation Cap

5 min • FTMO 3 firmsLearn

Shared VPS 192.0.2.14scanning…

Same IP + mirrored entries = cluster flag

33 Account Rules Visual

VPN, VPS & Account Sharing

One trader, one network, one device profile — VPN hops and shared logins trigger security reviews.

Safe = 1 Trader AND (1 Home IP OR 1 Private VPS in Allowed Country)

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

Crypto & Weekend Leverage

Crypto leverage drops and weekend holding splits by program — standard funded often deleverages or flattens.

34 Trading Rules Visual

Crypto & Weekend Leverage

Crypto leverage drops and weekend holding splits by program — standard funded often deleverages or flattens.

Weekend Margin = Weekday Margin * Weekend Multiplier (often 5–10x)

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

$499 + 0 reset(s) + $50Total $549

■ Fee ■ Resets ■ Activation • refund only at payout

35 Commercial & Legal Visual

Refunds & Chargeback Policy

Fees refund only on narrow paths — first payout or early window — and chargebacks burn the account.

Refundable = If (First Payout Approved AND Fee Marked Refundable AND No Chargeback) → Original Fee Back

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

HARD

Daily / max / cap = dead

SOFT

Margin / target / hold

Hard touch → instant termination

36 Commercial & Legal Visual

Retroactive Strategy Veto

Profits can be removed after the fact if the strategy is later ruled prohibited — winning first does not protect you.

Net Payable = Gross Profit - Profit Attributed to Prohibited Pattern

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

Restricted Countries & KYC

Residency, ID match, and payout-name match decide eligibility before any profit matters.

37 Account Rules Visual

Restricted Countries & KYC

Residency, ID match, and payout-name match decide eligibility before any profit matters.

Eligible = If (Country Allowed AND ID Matches Purchase AND Payout Name Matches KYC) → Pass

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

Sim vs Live Funded Model

Most FX funded accounts are simulated with contractual payouts — not segregated broker equity.

38 Commercial & Legal Visual

Sim vs Live Funded Model

Most FX funded accounts are simulated with contractual payouts — not segregated broker equity.

Payout Source = Simulated Performance Reward (contractual) unless Live Call-Up stated

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

Futures Contracts & Data Fees

Contract caps plus exchange data fees gate every futures eval — exceed one micro and you breach.

39 Futures Specific Visual

Futures Contracts & Data Fees

Contract caps plus exchange data fees gate every futures eval — exceed one micro and you breach.

Allowed = Minis ≤ Cap AND Micros ≤ Micro Cap AND Data Active

5 min • Topstep 3 firmsLearn

Complaints & Appeal Process

Denied payouts have a paper-trail appeal — evidence quality decides, not anger.

40 Commercial & Legal Visual

Complaints & Appeal Process

Denied payouts have a paper-trail appeal — evidence quality decides, not anger.

Overturn Chance = Complete Logs + Matching IDs + No Banned Pattern

5 min • Goat Funded Trader 3 firmsLearn

Test your knowledge live

Try the interactive drawdown simulator with real firm floors — see the same trade live vs breach across programs.